Bitter Sweet
by 7dragons7
Summary: Hinamori still thinks it was Ichimaru who forced Aizen to do the things that he did. She will do anything to bring her dear Aizen back and make Gin pay. Doing so she learns the true faces of the two men. MomoXGin in time. But some GinXAizen until then
1. My dear Captain

I do not own Bleach. Yes, it is sad but that's the way things are.

This idea just came to me in the shower, as surprisingly most ideas for one reason or another do. I guess, its cause I was reading some fan fics and I noticed that no one really seems to like Hinamori. I felt bad for her, yeah, she's a little off the wagon but you know I think I'd be a little crazy too, if a hunk like Aizen slipped from my fingers. I wanted to write one where she isn't a complete loon. Though after writing this, I realized that, that is quite a task. I did my best. Well anyway, I'm not sure what this will become but we'll see.

Oh and there is a little GinxAizen yaoi in here, because that is how I roll. Its so light you probably won't even know its there.

And spoilers for Soul Society Arc and Save Rukia Arc. But honestly, what are you doing reading fan fiction if you haven't at least gotten that far. I mean honestly.

She hated him. She had always hated him. Maybe because Captain Aizen favored him so much. True, he was the lieutenant but, it also seemed to be more then that. She would watch them whenever she could.

Aizen would always give Lieutenant Ichimaru such a kind smile and run his hand threw the silver strands. "Well done Ichimaru," he would say in such a kind voice.

She didn't know why their relationship angered her so much. She really didn't. She should in fact be grateful to Lieutenant Ichimaru. He had saved her, and her friends.

"Whatcha' doin?" asked a voice.

"Renji-kun!" she squeaked. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

He grinned at her. "Are you spyin on Captain Aizen?" he asked.

Her cheeks turned a pale pink. "No! I'm just watching him."

Renji's smile widened. "Does he know that your watching him?"

She looked down at her feet as her blush darkened. "Well, no,"

"Then I think that counts on spyin'," he chuckled.

"It's not!" she gave her red haired friend a determined look. "I'm looking out for him!"

"Oh?" Renji crossed his arms. "How do you figure? He's a captain, Hinamori, I don't think he needs you to be looking out for him."

"It's the people closest to you that are more likely to betray you. And I don't trust Ichimaru. But Captain Aizen does. He's blinded my his fondness for him. So I will keep watch over my Captain." she turned around to watch the captain and lieutenant again.

"You haven't heard?"

She turned back to Renji again. "Heard what?"

"Ichimaru is gonna get promoted in a few days time. The third company has been empty for quite some time. So Ichimaru is in the runnin to get it,"

Hinamori's eyes lit up. "He'll be gone! Ichimaru will be gone!"

"My, my," said a soft voice from behind them.

With a surprised squeak Hinamori turned to see a familiar smile and squinted eyes.

"Hinamori-chan, you know better. Its Lieutenant Ichimaru,"

"Yes, of course, Lieutenant Ichimaru, my apologies," she bowed her head in apology.

"Abarai-kun" the silver haired man turned his attention to Renji. "You are being positioned else where."

"Eh?" was the response, "But I was hoping to apply for your position, sir,"

The smile of the Lieutenant grew wider. "I don't even have the captain's seat yet and people are already linen up for my spot."

"I didn't mean any-"

The thin man waved his hand. "Think nothing of it. Not every day that a lieutenants seat opens up. Regardless, my seat won't be filled by you. Your goin' off to the eleventh squad,"

Renji and Momo both looked at the thin Lieutenant with a frightened expression.

"Now, don' give meh that look. It'll be good for ya and build character and all that."

"Would you ever go to the eleventh squad, Lieutenant?" asked Hinamori.

"Of goodness no," the smile faltering slightly. "Their a pack of wild animals," Ichimaru's smile fell back in place. "But you'll do fine Abarai-kun. Now off ya go Eleventh Captain-san is expectin ya." He waved a hand shooing the red haired man.

A forced smile appeared on Renji's face. "Its been an honor to serve under you and Captain Aizen. He bowed to the silver haired man then gave Hinamori's shoulder a light squeeze. Silently wishing her the best.

The young girl watched her friend walk away. Squad eleven? Sure Renji was a bit hot headed and yes, he mouthed off more then he should of but to send him to squad eleven?

"Whose idea was it to send Renji to squad eleven?" she looked back at her superior.

There was a slight pause between them. Ichimaru gave her a big smile, bigger then normal. "Mine, of course."

Hinamori's hands twitched towards her sword. This man was a monster. A snake. A wolf in sheep's clothing. He was going to devour her poor captain. Only she could see threw him.

"Ichimaru," said a kind voice. "Did you send Abarai-kun away already. I never had a chance to say goodbye."

She smiled as Captain Aizen walked up to them.

"Sorry Captain. I already sent him on his way."

The bi-speckled man frowned. "Well I hope he does well there."

Hinamori looked up at her captain with such admiration. Captain Aizen was so kind, and he cared for everyone.

"Oh yes, Hinamori-chan." he smiled at her. "You probably know, but our dear Lieutenant may be leaving us in a few days time." He patted Ichimaru's head gently. "If he does leave us I'll be out a lieutenant. I was wondering, if you would be interested in taking his position."

Hinamori's eyes sparkled in delight. "Of course Captain Aizen. It would be such an honor."

"I'm glad to hear it. These are big shoes to fill but I know you can do it."

Momo smiled. She knew she'd be a better Lieutenant the Ichimaru ever was. He may be stronger then her, but he was also a slacker when it came to paper work. She would work harder then he ever had. She would make Aizen proud of her. And now that she was Aizen's second she could keep a close eye on him.

---

And she did. She never left his side unless she had too. She tried not to though. He was impossible to find when he did leave her sight. She would then panic if she couldn't find him.

"Kira-kun!" she cried one afternoon. She ran to her kind blonde friend.

"What's the matter Hinamori-chan he asked, already knowing her problem.

"I can't find Captain Aizen."

On most days, Kira would not have and answer to this question. Today however he did know.

"He's having lunch with my captain today, Captain Ichimaru said that they didn't want to be disturbed."

"He's with Captain Ichimaru!" she cried. With an iron grip she grabbed Kira's wrist. "Where, where are they?"

Kira smiled weakly at her. "No, you see, they don't-"

A spark of madness was showing in Hinamori's dark brown eyes. "Where are they?"

"In my captain's office," he said quietly. Regretting the words as they left his mouth.

Hinamori quickly ran towards the third squad. Her captain was alone with Ichimaru. He could be doing something terrible to her poor captain. She only hoped that she wasn't to late.

"Hinamori-chan!" called Kira chasing after her.

"I have such a headache," Aizen sighed resting his head on Gin shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he heard the silver man chuckle.

"Guess I should thank ya then. Izuru is such a good boy. So quite and does all my work. I just nap in the office all day long,"

Aizen lifted his head of the bony shoulder to look at the silver haired man. "Don't start getting lazy, Gin."

Gin opened his eyes slightly. "Are you gonna waste our precious time together by complainin' bout you Lieutenant?" He wrapped his thin arms around the older man.

Aizen smiled looking into the scarlet eyes. He ran a hand threw the silky silver locks.

Gin was sitting on his paper work free desk. Aizen standing comfortly between the thin mans legs. These rare but precious moments were all that kept him sane. It would all be worth it in the end. He leaned forward to kiss the soft thin lips in front of him.

"Captain Aizen!" cried Hinamori flying into the office Kira right behind her.

The was a crack and a small yelp of pain.

The two lieutenants looked over at the two captains.

Aizen was rubbing his head which had smashed into Ichimaru's nose when the two lieutenants barged in. The force of the blow, of course, breaking the thin noise.

Gin was holding his nose trying to keep the blood from spilling onto his captain's coat.

"Oh! Gin," Aizen said, at last realizing Ichimaru's situation. Not quite sure what to do with the poor man. Tears were appearing at the corners of the squinted eyes.

"Kiba! Meh tobd ya not at leb anybody in bere,"

Between Gin's accent and the broken nose, Aizen had no idea what his dear fox was saying.

"Captain!" cried Kira running up to his captain. The awkward position that Aizen and Ichimaru were in wasn't even noticed. "Let me see,"

Aizen smiled as Gin shook his head not letting Kira get close to the broken nose.

"Will you help me, sir?" Kira asked Aizen. "I can heal this, but only if I can see his nose."

Hinamori watched the scene. Captain Ichimaru was the one that was hurt? But that didn't make any sense. She watched as Aizen and Kira fought with the squirming Ichimaru.

"There," said Kira at long last the green light diapering from his fingertips. "Is your head okay Captain Aizen? I can heal that too, if you'd like."

"No I'm fine Kira-kun but thank you." he sighed looking over at Gin. "You're nose is fine, now, Ichimaru."

Gin still brooding on his desk was still covering his face still not convinced that his nose was in its normal condition.

Aizen sighed rubbing his temples giving a disapproving look at his own lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Hinamori," he said sternly. She flinched. She had never heard him use that tone of voice. Not to her, not to anyone. "I am very disappointed with you."

She felt tears start to build up. He was disappointed with her?

"You know better then to barge into a captains office."

"But I didn't know where you-"

"I was having lunch with my old lieutenant. I too, need time to myself. I can't get work done with you always by my side, pestering me."

"I'm sorry," she said tears falling from her eyes. "I'm just looking out for you."

"Hinamori I am a captain. You are a lieutenant. I can look after myself just fine."

He stared down at her as she cried and sputtered out apologies. He looked over at Gin and Kira. The young blonde was trying to clean up his captain, but Ichimaru was having none of it. He could've sworn he had heard a hiss from the silver haired man.

And he still had a terrible headache.

Since the incident in the third squads office Hinamori had done her best to keep at least a little distance from her captain but not too much. Ichimaru had been quite cold towards all of the fifth squad members, Aizen included.

From there it only seemed to escalate. Even others began to notice that the once close pair had grown apart.

It was all as Hinamori suspected. She was still sure that, Ichimaru was going to do something terrible to her captain. She watched in silence as bitter words were exchanged between the two.

When Ichimaru made his move to attack her captain she would be ready.

She loved her captain. She loved him dearly. With all the crazy things going on with Kuchiki-san and the intruders in Soul Society, she just felt compelled to be with her captain that night. To tell him her fears of all this, and to watch out for him. These were dangerous times after all.

But she failed.

She fell asleep.

And when she awoke. He was dead.

She failed in her mission as a Lieutenant.

Her eyes widened as she saw a smirking figure making small of her dead captain. Him. Ichimaru. He had killed her captain.

In a rage she attacked him. Her only thought was of avenging her captain. Only to be stopped by her friend, Kira. And then her smaller friend, Toshiro.

The pain in her stomach where he stabbed her. Her own blood pooling around her. Her vision slowly fading. But she could still see them. Ichimaru and Captain Aizen. The looks they exchange with each other. The hand running threw the silver hair.

Aizen never touched her like that. Aizen never looked at her with such love.

Someone was talking. Toshiro? She wasn't sure.

"Gin, is the only one I've ever considered my Lieutenant."

She heard those words so clearly. As if they had been whispered into her own ear. And it hurt. It hurt so much. As her whole world turned back there was only one thing she could think.

This was all Ichimaru's fault. He had made Aizen do all these terrible things. And one way or another, she would make him pay.

A/N I really like this so far. Just a lot of recapping mostly. I want to continue, but where to go from here is going to take some thought. And the thought of all my other stories not finished makes me cringe a little. This was in my head and it needed to come out.

Please tell me how you like it. Reviews make me happy.

OH! And who else saw the epic filler on Tuesday? This is sooo much better then those crappy bounts. I'm so excited. Never been more excited for filler in my life lol

Only downside is of course no Gin and Aizen in this filler. At least I don't see why they would be there. But I would like to see what Shinso looks like.


	2. The Taste of War

Here it chapter two.

So I must worn you that this is now a fairly dark fic. It was the only way to go about it. I didn't want it to go this way but I saw no other option. I wanted to keep it at a T but can't do that. Oh well sorry if I've deterred some of you from the story now. Didn't mean to lead you astray with the first chapter. It is what it is now. So here are your warnings.

Character Death. And Lots of it. It's the war, people die.

Also spoilers for the war arc.

You have been warned.

Bleach I do not own.

The only thing that kept her going was the thought of saving her captain. When she awoke from her coma she had been told by the kind fourth captain, Unohana, what had happened.

She refused to believe that Aizen was behind it. She argued and cried and blamed it all on Ichimaru. She tried to explain to Hitsugaya over the monitor in the first division that it was all Ichimaru's fault. But even he would not be swayed by her words. No one believed her.

With the war approaching she decided that she must act how everyone wanted her to. That was the only way they would allow her to be part of the battle. She just had to say…

"You right Captain Unohana. I realize now. Aizen is not a good man,"

With a relived sigh the fourth captain smiled. "Good Hinamori-chan. I'm glad you at last understand."

From then on she trained. She took care of the fifth squad. Did Captain Aizen's old duties. And she dreamed of the day when her captain would be back in his rightful place at his desk.

"I'm glad your doing better Hinamori-chan," said Kira dropping off some paperwork.

"Kira-kun," she said happily. "How are things in the third division?"

Kira shrugged. "Suffering. Not work wise of course, Ichimaru never did any paper work or anything like that but moral wise, he was always keeping spirits up. It really isn't the same with out him,"

She smiled at Kira. Her poor friend. Couldn't he see that Ichimaru was a terrible person? Poor thing.

"You know Hisagi-san keeps saying that he's going to drag Tousen back." Kira chuckled at the thought. "I was thinking maybe I could do the same for Ichimaru. But I don't know how tightly Aizen has him wrapped around his finger. If I try as hard as I can, I don't think I could bring him back."

Hinamori turned away from Kira. "How do you know its not the other way around?"

"Excuse me?" said Kira.

"Ichimaru has Cap- Aizen wrapped around his finger?"

Kira dropped the paper work onto her desk. "Look, Hinamori-chan you weren't there when Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen left. Aizen is the ring leader in all of this. You should of seen Ichimaru's face when he said bye to Matsumoto-san." Kira shook his head. He didn't want to fight about this. "Look I have a lot of work to do," With that he turned on his heel and left the office.

Hinamori stared at the paper work angrily. They were all wrong all of them.

XxX

Then sooner then anyone would have liked the winter war was upon them.

The shikigami stood against the traitors.

By the time Hinamori got there the battle had already started. And she had been knocked out not much later. Oh how it hurt to breath. Kira was busy healing Matsumoto.

Her eyes winded as the large group of flames was extinguished and out stepped her captain. Ichimaru and Tousen by his sides. She wanted to run to him and tell him that she would save him. She tried getting up, but her broken body didn't seem to want to move.

"Aizen!" called a voice.

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice. A group of strangers were here.

And powerful strangers they were. They took out menos after menos. But they weren't powerful enough to get to her captain.

And all she could do was watch as the remaining shikigami and these new allies fought.

XxX

Watching had been more terrible then fighting. Watching when you could do nothing to help.

She watched Hisagi be cut down by his captain. Why did he fight? He was in no shape to be fighting against his captain. Everyone who had been fighting the second Espada was dead. Captain Soi Fon and Omaeda-san. And Shiro-chan? Where was he what happened to him? All that was left from that fight was the little blonde haired girl who looked around to see who was left of her friends.

And no one had been able to kill the first Espada Stark he had moved on to fight the Head Captain. Aizen fighting the short haired blonde with the weird teeth. And Ichimaru.

He was making his way towards them.

She was so scared. She couldn't move.

Kira looked up at his former captain still trying to heal Matsumoto. All his friends were dying or dead. What could he possibly do against his captain.

"Izuru," said Ichimaru the name spoken softly on the traitors lips. "Stop healing her."

Kira shook his head. "She'll die,"

Ichimaru's smile winded. He kicked the young blonde's hand away. Pulling out his small sword he held it over the broken body of the strawberry blonde. The blade shot out piercing Ichimaru's oldest friend threw the chest.

"There now she is dead."

Kira hands shook. He killed her.

Momo couldn't stop the tears from falling. He was a monster. A monster. "How could you," she whispered.

Gin still smiling withdrew the blade from the female's body. "She had the life she had because of me. It was mine to take away,"

Quite suddenly Aizen appeared beside Ichimaru. Blood splatter on his white robes so clearly not his own.

"What should we do with the remain' shikigami Capin' Aizen? "

Aizen looked around trying to see who was left. There were still the captain's in back in Los Noches to consider.

"Anyone who is lucky enough to still be alive, we'll take them back with us. They will experience real hell when we return. Have the Espada gather up the survivors. In the meantime break the rest of these pillars and bring the real town to me."

With a nod Gin again unleashed his sword sending the blade into one of the pillars making it crack in several places and collapse.

The spell was broken the fake town fading away and the real one replacing it.

Hinamori could once again only watch as she was being pulled away, as the town that so many had lost their lives to protect was blown away.

XxX

"Hey! I think I found a captain!"

The sound of footsteps running in his direction.

"Is he still alive?" It was a man's voice.

"Ya," this one was a woman. "He's lucky he fell into the fake town,"

The man sighed. "It's hopeless now."

"It's not hopeless," said the woman. "Not everyone is dead. We've got some survivors here. And there some still alive with Aizen. And Ichigo! He's back there too. There is still hope!"

Blue green eyes tried to focus. Everything was blurry. Where was he? The fake town? Back in Soul Society?

"But the king.." the man again.

"Yeah well, its not like he really did anything. Just means we have to knock Aizen off his thrown."

"I'll look for more," said the man.

His eyes at last started to focus. He looked up to see a dark skinned woman with violet hair. "You're-" but he couldn't place a name at the moment. "Wear cat," was the only name that came to his mind.

The woman laughed. "Does Byakuya boy still call me that?" her smile faded for a moment wondering what would be come of the noble brat? Did he make it?

She patted the spiky white hair.

She looked up again to see her male companion. His head was bowed his hat covering his eyes, he was carrying another captain. This one didn't seem so lucky. She saw the long white hair. "Oh no," she murmured. She picked up her one tiny charge. "Ukitake," she ran a hand through the blood stained white hair.

"Shunsui is going to take this really hard." said the man.

The violet haired woman shook her head. "We just told him about the old man, Kisuke,"

The blonde haired man took a deep breath. "I tell him,"

Yoruichi held back her tears. She still didn't know the fate of Soi Fon but feared the worst. She had found one of the metal rings that the captain wore in her hair. It had been partly dissolved. She feared Soi Fon was dead and all that remained was that metal ring.

"Whose left?" she heard the young captain in her arms ask.

Her yellow eyes looked sadly at him. "Its hard to say,"

"Then who have you found?"

She brought him to an empty house. "This is the fake town," she explained. "The real one is gone," Toshiro said nothing. His voice would shake if he did. He looked around seeing who still lived.

There weren't many. Shunsui was holding onto a Ukitake's body his head bowed his shoulders shaking. His lieutenant holding his shoulder. She would not cry. She had to be strong for her captain. Hisagi was barley alive. For the moment anyway. His breathing was heavy and his bandages were blood soaked. And Yumichika from squad eleven. He was alone.

"This is it," he whispered.

"Some where taken by Aizen." said Kisuke. "And we mustn't forget that there are still captains over in Aizen's palace.

Toshiro still looked around. There were a line of bodies covered in sheets though. He struggled out of the Yoruichi's grasp. He saw something that made his heart stop.

He struggled to make his way over to the line of fallen comrades. He pulled the sheet off the one with orange wavy hair sticking out.

He couldn't hold back a small cry of despair. "Matsumoto," He ran his hand along her cheek. She was so cold. She was gone.

He looked at the other bodies covered by sheets. "Momo," he whispered. "Is she here too?"

The shop keeper shook his head. "I haven't seen her." he looked over to the defeated tenth captain. "But we are still are recovering bodies."

"Captain Hitsugaya," said Nano.

He looked over to her.

She gestured him over to her and her captain. He swallowed his damn pride. He went over to them to greave. To have his wounds, that he hadn't really noticed till now, treated. To cry silently, no one would care. Not right now.

XxX

Aizen smiled happily the key in his hands. "Lets go home for the moment to take care of the pests in my castle then we'll continue on. By nightfall I'll be a God, and you two, my angels."

Gin nodded his smile plastered to his face. "Okay, but I demand a halo,"

Tousen sighed. That joke was getting rather old.

Aizen opened the doors back to the world of the hallows. Leaving the giant crater that was once a happy town behind.

However home was not quite what he expected it to be. To start off his throne room was destroyed. He sighed in annoyance. "Ulquiorra," he called.

Gin looked around.

Aizen's frown deepened. "Ulquiorra," he called again.

"Maybe he's fighting that Ichigo kid." Gin explained.

"No," the woman that they had kidnapped walked over towards them. "That fight is over.

Gin and Aizen looked at her. She certainly looked worse for the wear.

"Over?" asked Tousen. "Did they kill each other?"

The girl shook her head. "Ichigo has gone off to fight that other Espada Yammy,"

Gin tilted his head to the side. "Eh?"

Aizen gripped the key tightly. Impossible.

"It's only fair though," she said. Tear falling from her face. "If your back that means that all my friends are dead. That my home is gone."

Aizen said nothing and walked away. Perhaps to really go and see if the fourth Espada was really gone.

Gin couldn't really cared less. The less Espada the better as far as he was concerned. He decided to go and see what was being done to the prisoners that they had caught.

Tousen also left the girl. Offering no words of comfort. Her pain was none of his concern. There were captains about that needed to be taken care of. This was no time to be careless.

XxX

This was wear his fourth Espada raitsu was the strongest. And yet it was terribly faint. Had he really been defeated? It seemed so unlikely. The orange haired boy would suffer for this.

"Aizen,"

The dark haired man looked up to see a blood covered noble. He was holding someone in his arms. That person was unnaturally still.

"I do hope you are also grieving for a loved one that you have lost. For if you are not, I know where I can find one, and I'll rip his heart out in front of you,"

"Is that someone you love in your arms? I didn't know you where capable of such an emotion,"

The captain of the sixth squad set down the body gently. Aizen caught a glimpse of the face. It was as he thought. Rukia.

Byakuya was in no shape to fight him. Aizen none the less pulled out his sword.

XxX

She was alone in her dark cell. Her body ached. Her heart cried out for those who were gone. Matsumoto-san, Iba-san and so many others. She didn't know what happened to Toshiro but she had to assume he was dead. She felt tears run down her face.

She heard soft footsteps coming towards the cells.

"Good evening everyone," said a cheerful voice. She struggled to pull herself up to the bars. She glared at the man, The reason behind all of this.

Seeing her glaring at him threw the bars he smiled at her and walked right to her cell.

"Judging by ya pouting face I'd say that ya still you believe me at be the masta mind behind this whole thing, ne?"

She glared at him. "I'll save Aizen from you,"

His grin grew wider. He moved so fast she didn't even have time to react. All she knew was that he had her by the throat.

"Your so stupid." he whispered. "That's why he picked ya, ya know. Cause ya an idiot." She whimpered in reply. "He hates ya. He hated every moment ya were with 'em. Ya drove him so crazy he couldn't even kill ya properly." He squeezed her throat tightly "So I suggest you wake up, cause if you wanna live longer then tomarra ya better make friends with meh real quick," He at last let her go leaving her gasping for breath. She fell to the ground in a fit of tears and coughs. "How many people he gotta kill in front of ya till ya believe he's the real bad guy?"

With that he walked away from her cell. He was still there he could hear him talking to someone else now.

She crawled into a corner of her cell. She didn't want to believe anything that evil man said to her. She didn't. Yet the words wouldn't stop echoing in her head.

A/N yes well there it is. You can expect more deaths next chapter. I'm sorry. I thought about it after I wrote the first chapter and realized that was the only way to make this story work. So again I apologize if this wasn't what you thought it was going to be. I didn't know either till I started writing.


	3. Replaced

"Kenny! Kenny!" cried the small pink haired girl. She was being held tightly by Tousen as she watched her dear friend be over powered by some stupid Espada.

"Do not kill him," ordered the blind man. "I wish to kill him myself after I make him taste true justice."

The man with the bells in his hair laughed out loud. Like hell, he'd be taken prisoner. But still he was heavily wounded from his last battle. Hell, he was still bleeding freely from his last battle, and this bastard was strong.

The wavy haired Espada fought with a bored expression on his face. He just wanted to go back to his tower to nap.

XxXxX

Unohana frowned as looked at the older male Espada.

"You're the healer aren't you?"

"We are both healers,"

Isane swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I've been ordered to bring you to Aizen-sama," he said gruffly.

"Aizen?" said Isane looking over to her captain. "He should be in the real world,"

Unohana closed her eyes. She took a deep breath forcing all her emotions to remain locked up inside. She could spare no thought for the others at the moment. "Very well," she said following the Espada.

Her lieutenant gave her a look, demanding information. Her captain said nothing. All would be explained in time, she was sure.

"Before I see him, I must request that I am allowed to heal any that are injured."

The old Espada said nothing, but led her the prison cells. There she would find plenty of wounded.

XxXxX

Ichigo jumped away from another fearsome attack from the former tenth Espada. He had lost track of his companions. He could still feel Renji, and Inoue. Ishida too he could sense. Chad and Rukia's spiritual pressure was gone though. His hands shook as he held his sword. Byakuya was fighting somewhere. Who? He couldn't be sure. It felt like Aizen. But that couldn't be right. Because if it was Aizen that meant the shikigami had failed and his town, and his sisters…

He dodged another swing from the giant fist. He couldn't think about that right now. His hand reached up to his face and pulled down his mask. He had to win this fight first.

XxXxX

He cut threw the cherry blossoms with ease. They were slow. Not the fast blurs of pink they usually were. The nobleman, though he didn't show it was torn apart by grief from the loss of his sister.

"Is it like loosing Hisana again?" asked Aizen.

Without missing a beat, the sixth captain lunged at him. So slow.

The lord of the hollow world dodged him easily.

He was bored. There were more important things to do then mess around with this half dead captain. Aizen slashed his sword at the younger man.

Byakuya eye's filled with grief at the blood that spilled in front of him. Aizen to was surprised at the blood he had unexpectantly drawn.

Renji fell to his knees holding his stomach where the blood was flowing freely. "Sir," he coughed out, blood dripping from his mouth. He looked up at his commander. A captain he hadn't always faithfully followed, but respected always. "I'll look after Rukia now," He fell slow in Byakuya's eyes. Everyone seemed to.

The sixth captain's sword slipped from his fingers. What was there to fight for now? The laws of Soul Society? His bloodied body wouldn't move to fight his foe now. It couldn't muster the strength. They were all dead. Rukia. Renji. Even that horrible woman, Yoruichi must be dead. All the captain's that had been at the real world were dead. His captain commander. His oldest friends and teachers. They were all gone.

Aizen watched the scene, wondering why he didn't strike the man now. A voice was whispering that the man was broken. He could be rebuilt into something else now. That's what sparred him the bite of his blade.

XxXxX

Gin looked down at the blonde, who only for a moment glared at him before quickly looking away.

Kira closed his eyes for a moment. God, he felt like Hinamori. "Sir!" he cried, quickly standing up gripping the bars to his cell. "Why didn't you take me with you when you left!"

Gin looked surprised for a moment. But then smiled a genuine smile. "Cause this is a horrible place, Izuru." Oh his little Izuru, the only one he had ever been almost completely honest with. Except Aizen of course. "I have wished that ya had been here many times," he reached threw the bars and patted the blonde hair. "But this isn't a place for ya,"

Kira's blue eyes looked at his captain confused. "I'm here now aren't I?"

Gin chuckled sadly. "Yes, ya are. I should've killed ya too. But Aizen finished his fight to quickly."

"What?" said Kira stepping back, away from the touch.

"I killed Ran, to save her from the fate that would have awaited her here. And I should've done the same for ya too, Izuru."

Kira pressed himself against the wall. "Can't you do anything?"

"I wield no power in this world," Gin somehow still smiled. "But I will do what I can to try and keep ya safe, Izuru"

Kira looked away. "What's going to happen to us?"

Gin shook his head. "I have no answers."

Kira watched his captain step away and leave his sight. He killed Matsumoto-san to protect her. He was acting like he didn't care as a front for Aizen. He couldn't imagine how his captain must be feeling. He sat down and leaned his head against the wall. What would become of all of them. There was no one left to save them. No one left.

He watched as Espada's led people into cells. First was Kenpachi. He was bound tightly, and gagged. These cells prevented any kind of kido spells and sealed all raitsu. There was no chance of getting out of here. Even if you were Kenpachi.

Next was Byakuya. He was led into a cell as well, looking utterly defeated. And others followed after him.

"Kira-kun," said a kind voice.

"Captain Unohana!" he said happily seeing that she was alive and unharmed.

She smiled at him and patted his head. "Are you hurt?"

He was about to say no when she quickly place a slim finger to her mouth. He quickly shut his mouth. She gl

anced behind her and made the green light appear at her finger tips. Only an act so they could talk.

She spoke very quietly but he managed to hear every word.

"Things are about to get very difficult. I fear this is all that left of the Gotei thirteen. We are down, but far from out. These will be difficult times ahead, but if we persevere we will be rewarded in the end. This is our chance to, do onto Aizen what he did to us. Betrayal. We get close to him, and then attack when the time is right. Of course it is to late to save the king. We must think of saving ourselves. With us gone the world could collapse." She looked at him seriously. "Kira-kun. You have an important mission. To win over Ichimaru. No one is closer to Aizen then him. So in turn you must become close to him. You must win over Ichimaru. Aizen will try and divide us. Do not fall to him. We are counting on you Kira-kun."

Her dark brown eyes showed determination. He nodded as she got up to go to the next cell.

She was right. They had to get close to Aizen. What did this mean then? Did he have to become his former captain's lover? The two had been so close back then. Never lovers, even though ha had always wished it were so.

There was only one problem though. This plan seemed to obvious. Aizen would have to expect something like this. He didn't see Aizen letting him and Ichimaru get close. Ever. But there was always a chance that the soon to be God may get careless in his victory.

XxXxX

Ichimaru walked back to the throne room as he was asked to. It seemed everyone had been rounded up. Next stop was to go kill a king. But first to rap up some loose ends with the survivors.

He entered the ruined chambers taking note of all the people inside.

Aizen of course sitting in his throne by standing by his side was a crying pink haired young girl. Unohana and her lieutenant were in the room as well as the twelfth captain and his lieutenant. Tousen and the remaining Espada. Yammy not present due to his fight still going on with that kid, Ichigo. And at Aizen's other side that busty orange haired girl. Orihime? Yes that was her name.

"You are late," Aizen spoke softly.

Gin smiled his usual smile. "Sorry,"

Aizen looked at all of them in the room. "Well here we are. We have lost many in this feud, have we not?" Unohana stiffened at these words but said nothing. "You are all standing here because you have agreed to support my cause."

Gin tilted his head to the side. Really? Unohana had agreed to support their cause? And Yachiru too? He could see Mayuri turning but the others?

"Now," continued the soon to be God. "Tousen prepare to leave. There is only one thing to do,"

Gin to stepped forward.

"Ichimaru where do you think your going?"

Gin's smile did not fade. "Ah, are ya still sore at me for bein' late? I said sorry."

"You will look after Los Noches, while I am gone." explained Aizen.

The silver haired man almost frowned. "What?"

"I am bringing this young lady with me instead." he pointed to the pink haired girl.

For just a second his mask slipped but only for a second. It was then he realized. He saw it on the smug smirk on Tousen's face. He saw it in Aizen's eyes. It all spelled one thing. Aizen was done with him.

Just as he had booted Tousen from Aizen's bed so many, many years ago, the same was being done to him. Aizen would train and raise the young girl into a fearless killer as he had done to him. She would take his place in Aizen's bed when she was a bit older.

Gin just smiled. "I'll look after the place, then," With that he turned away. He had actually wondered when this was going to happen. Aizen had seemed to have lost his interest in him. It was just quick fucks. Few words where said. No more hands gently running threw his silver strands. No more gentle caresses and soft kisses and sweet nights of passion. Not like it used to be. So he would be a fool to say he didn't see this coming.

Yachiru was still young. It would take time to rid her of her love of the vicious man Kenpachi. Still, if anyone could, Aizen could brainwash her and make her a perfect killing machine.

"Of course you know," said Aizen still speaking to Gin. "I am not a heartless man. I'll have someone sent for you," Very few in the room would now what he was words meant. Gin was one of them. And the words stung. Aizen did not want him. So he'd send someone else to do what he no longer wanted to do to him.

Gin said nothing. No thank you. No good bye.

Ichimaru left the room. Others following leading Mayuri and Unohana into their rooms to be watched carefully. He felt someone gently grab his arm.

He turned to see Unohana's face. "It's okay," she said kindly.

His smile always in place. "What's okay?"

She still had his arm. But he wasn't pulling away. Her touch was gentle. Kind. Loving. Even after all he had done, she still worried, still cared. Just as she had always done when he had been a captain.

And because of that, he couldn't help the words that spilled out of his mouth. "Why should I care, after all its only been over a hundred years. Its not that long. I never really expected anything." His smile was slipping his words shaking. He had to be careful.

Yet he felt arms wrap around him. Her arms. She held him. She would've let him cry if he had allowed himself to do so. "You're a prisoner here, just like us." she whispered.

No. That wasn't true. He was here because he choose to be here. He did it all because Aizen asked him to. He lived his whole life for Aizen. Over a hundred years of loyalty. Yet Aizen brushed it aside so easily.

He felt her be pulled away. Stark taking her away. His eyes locked with his. A warning. A warning to be careful. He was no longer the favorite. No longer Aizen's pet. Aizen's whore. He was just Ichimaru Gin, former captain of the third division and traitor. What a sad feeling. Is this what Tousen felt like when he replaced him?

He didn't like this feeling. Not at all.

XxXxX

She sat on the bed. She had been dragged her without explanation here. Not long after Unohana had healed her. She had been warned not to fall victim to Aizen, again. Not to be tricked by sweet words, again. Not to be fooled by his kind smile, again.

She had nodded at the words but they meant little. Why couldn't they see who the real puppet master was?

So here she was. It was a large bedroom. It even had a small bathroom. The whole room, and bathroom was very white, like everything else in the castle.

She had been given a change of clothes to match the other Espadas. She looked around the room was quite plain. She wondered who's it was. It was hard to tell. White clothes all the same. She couldn't quite remember what Aizen had been wearing. She had been in so much pain at the time. And everything had been kinda hazy. Sighing she just sat on the bed and waited.

Then quite suddenly the door to the room entered. She scooted as far back on the bed as she could suddenly quite frightened. The man was none other the Ichimaru Gin. She had been brought to his room?

He hadn't seemed to notice her. He slowly walked past the bed to the bathroom. She heard the water from the sink turn on. And the splash of it hitting the silver haired man's face. She head shaky breaths come from him. She held her breath.

He at last came out of the bathroom wiping his face on a towel. And then he noticed her.

He starred at her his eyes wide open his scarlet eyes locked on to her small frame.

She starred back at him. For the first time seeing his eyes open. For the first time not seeing a smile pasted on his face. Seeing him for the first time looking defeated. Looking alone.

And for the first time and only for a small moment did she feel her undying loyalty to her captain waver. She wondered what he had done to Ichimaru to make him look so lost and alone. But she only felt this and thought it for a moment before it was pushed out of her mind.

The two just starred as the seconds ticked on.

A/N hmm, I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It seems choppy. It need to have all the different PoV so the story can move forward. Well, it is what it is. My only concern is not to make Gin seem to weak. I wrote a story like that already. While I love it to death I'd rather make him a stronger character this time around. Well reviews help me think and make decision or at least give me the encouragement to keep going. Well hope you enjoyed.


	4. Tears For Both of Us

He starred at her. His scarlet eyes open wide starring at the young girl.

She starred back. She was scared. This was Ichimaru's room.

At last, very slowly the mask slipped on. His eyes closed and his smile spread to his face. "What are ya doin' in my room?"

She kept her eyes on him. "I was brought here,"

"Brought here?"

She nodded.

It looked as if something clicked in his head. The smile was gone again and a scowl was on his face. "Follow me," he ordered. It was a tone she had never heard from him before and she didn't need to think twice about doing what he said.

He followed him out of the room threw the white halls of the palace. She was impressed he knew his way around here. It was a big maze to her.

Gin pushed open a set of doors and she followed him inside.

A big smile reached her face. "Captain Aizen!" she cried happily. One look from Ichimaru told her not to take a step towards the man.

Brown eyes quickly swept over the two. "Ichimaru, I'm getting ready to leave. I thought we already talked just moments ago, I have no time for your shenanigans. Besides you know how I feel about you just barging in here."

Yachiru peeked out from behind Aizen. Her eyes were puffy and red.

"I found this in my room," he nodded towards Hinamori.

Aizen smirked. "Yes. She is for you."

"Why would ya do that?" Gin stepped a little closer to the lord. "Why? Why not give me Izuru?"

"You had Izuru. I gave him to you as your lieutenant. Now I may want him, occasionally."

Ichimaru looked for a moment at a loss for wards. Finally he spoke. "After all the times I hid ya from her. After all the times ya came runnin' to me. All I eva did was listen and comfort ya. And now ya do this to me? When I know I can't come to ya the way ya used to come to me,"

Aizen still smirked. "You should be thankful that I gave you anything at all,"

"Ya may not want meh anymore. I understand that betta then ya think. But I at least thought-"

"Ichimaru," Aizen spoke loudly, cutting him off. "I have important things to attend to. I no longer have time for your babbling."

Hinamori watched at first upset that they were talking about her like some disease. And then hurt that Aizen had been constantly avoiding her in Soul Society. And then she saw the two for who they were. She saw that she may have been wrong the whole time.

Aizen ran a hand threw pink locks. "Are you ready to go little one?" Yachiru looked up at him. She was alone. She didn't know where Kenny was and her second favorite captain, ByaBya was also missing. All she had was him. He had worn glasses once right? He looked nicer without them. She held on tightly onto his white robes and nodded.

Ichimaru turned and left. Not another word to Aizen was spoken. She followed him. She didn't know why. She could've stayed with Aizen. Not sure what the consequences of doing that would be, though. No she didn't do that. She followed Ichimaru. She followed him down a long set of stairs. She recognized this place. This was the prison cells! Was he bringing her back here?

"Izuru," he said his hands gripping the bars to the blonde's cell.

Hinamori watched from a distance. The two had always been close. Always been friends. Kira had at times been a bit wary of his captain, and always had a lot to do, but never a bad word against the man. With the occasional lazy, being mentioned from time to time.

"Captain," Kira walked up to the bars. He noted immediately that not all was right. He placed his hand over his Ichimaru's bony one. "Are you okay?"

"Izuru," Gin whispered again. He couldn't look at the blonde. At the young man that had done nothing but serve him faithfully. But then again that's all he had done for Aizen.

Kira and Gin stood in silence. Well almost silence. They could hear the laughter of a crazed man and the sound of a whip hitting flesh.

On more then one occasion during their time in Soul Society, his Captain would become like this. He never knew the reason, nor did he ask. He just stayed by his Captain's side holding his hand until morning when he would be back to normal. He had always sort of known that he and Aizen had a relationship of some sort. Though the two hid it very well.

They exchanged nasty words many times. He had always assumed that those words had hurt his Captain in some way.

And here they were again. His Captain hurting again. Hurting because of something Aizen had said to him.

"Izuru," the man spoke softly. "He'll come after you because of me."

Kira's blue eyes narrowed. "That's fine."

"You won't hate me?"

Kira shook his head. "Never,"

Hinamori watched, fascinated by the two.

"Ichimaru," the voice was strict.

Tousen appeared a whip dripping with the blood of the flesh it had been tearing apart.

"You are no longer permitted to be down here,"

"That's news to me, I have never been bared from anythin. I can go wherever I please."

"That was true. Until you stopped being Aizen-sama's whore."

Ichimaru held his head high. "Ya act as if you hadn't been one yourself. How long has it been for ya, since ya had any kind of pleasure of that kind, surly Hisagi-kun had more sense then that? Or perhaps Sajin was your fuck buddy? Or maybe. That wasn't the whip cracks we were hearin' that was Kenpachi slamming in-"

Tousen was fast but so was Ichimaru. There swords at each others neck. There blades biting into each others flesh. They stood that way for few moments. Then Tousen backed up. "I don't have time for this. Unlike you Aizen-sama needs me."

Tousen having gotten the last word smiled. He was waiting for Ichimaru to leave, though, seeing as how the smiling man wasn't allowed to be there anymore.

Gin wiped the blood that was forming from the cut on his neck that Tousen's blade had inflicted with his sleeve. He turned on his heal and left. Hinamori quickly following him.

As she followed him her mind possessed all the new information. It was slowly sinking in, her captain was not the man she thought he was. He was not being controlled by anyone. He in fact was doing the controlling and manipulating.

They were back in his room now. And it seemed that he may have forgotten her. She stood by the door not quite sure what to do. She watched him carefully. He still had his back to her.

He slipped out of the white coat. Leaving him in a garment that was very much like Tousen's. It was sleeveless and she could see the teal sash wrapped several times around his thin waist.

She wondered if he had always been this thin? She couldn't remember.

He left the coat on the floor and made his way to the bathroom shutting it closed behind him. She felt nervous. She picked up the white coat. She should hang it up, or something.

She held it close picking up traces of his scent. The faint sent of persimmon fruit as well. She smiled at the faint memories of how much Kira hated the stuff. He complained time and time again that, that was all his captain ever wanted to eat. And it was always everywhere. In fact if Momo recalled correctly. Ichimaru had planted a whole garden of the things. And on more then one occasion dropped of a whole basket full of the stuff. A basket for every squad.

She wondered for a moment how his jacket smelled of it. After all there sure wasn't any persimmon fruit here.

Hinamori held the jacket pondering these things. Unimportant things. Because it was that or think of the reality of her situation. The reality that her captain was never the man she believed him to be. And that she was the last horse to cross the finish line, because everyone already knew that and had been trying to tell her these things. And the man whom she had put a lot of time and effort in hating was not a man that deserved these feelings. Because at the end of the day they were both former lieutenants of the fifth squad who were both hurting because of Aizen.

It was then that she realized that Ichimaru had been gone for a while. Nervously she stepped towards the door. She didn't hear anything. But he had been in there for such a long time.

She nervously grabbed the handle to the door and opened it carefully. There he was leaning over the sink. His arms were shaky. His one hand was wiping his mouth, had he just been sick? She wasn't sure. She stepped towards him pushing all fears and thoughts from her mind. She dropped his coat to the floor and wrapped her arms around him.

She was much smaller then him. So her arms were around his midsection. She could feel his body shake under his touch. And after a moment he fell to his knees, making it easier for her. Now with him like this she could hold him better. She rested her head against his back. Her arms on wrapped around him tightly.

He was hurting. She was hurting. They had nobody but each other now. She felt tears falling from her face.

She was crying. Not so much for herself but for both of them. For she knew he wouldn't cry for himself.

"I'm sorry your hurting," she sobbed.

His eyes open slightly, a fate smile on his face. This girl was all he had? This girl who had loathed his existence just hours before was crying for him. He placed his hand on one of the arms that embraced him.

No tears should be shed on his account. Not after all that had been done. What he had done. Rangiku's blood was on his hands. Mixed in with countless others he had slain.

And this girls still held onto him. Even after the friends that had been taken away before her eyes. Even after the betrayal that she had witnessed before her very eyes. Of the grave wound she had suffered at the hands of her captain, while he stood there smiling.

She held him and cried for them both.

She was an idiot for doing so. For feeling anything but hate for him. For showing remorse for a killer like him.

She was so stupid.

So forgiving.

So caring.

And he was grateful that she was all of these things.

A/N

It took some work but I think I did it. This was a tough pairing to work let me say. And I hope its believable that she now feels the way she does. I felt that another chapter of "This is all Ichimaru's fault," and "I love Aizen" was just to much. I just hope I didn't push her to fast into this.

After this I promise Aizen's going after the king. I know he's been about to go for like two chapters. I'm probably not going to write about any of that. There are other things to address. Like the wrapping up of some characters, here's looking at you Ichigo.

Well I hope you enjoyed. I know some cahraters seem a little ooc. But I hope only a little.


	5. My Little Silver Fox

He at last stood up making her let go of his slim form. She whipped the remaining tears from her eyes. Hinamori quietly followed him out of the bathroom.

Ichimaru looked about the room. "I'd let ya sleep in the bed but I hear ya a bed wetter,"

Her tear stained cheeks turned bright red. "What!" Her thoughts reeled. A bed wetter? That had been so many, many, many years ago. More importantly how did Ichimaru know about something like that? The only person that knew was-

"Toshiro!" she growled. "Did he tell you that?" She didn't think her little friend was such a blabber mouth.

Gin just grinned at her. "You understand right? That is my bed, I'd hate for you to ruin it,"

Her cheeks still bright red. She wished she had dirt on Shiro to trade with. But she knew nothing. He was so perfect.

She felt a bony hand pat her head. "I'ma just teasing ya bed wetter Momo. You can sleep in my bed."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

He nodded.

"Where will you sleep?"

He shrugged. He grabbed his coat from the floor where she had dropped it and put it back on. "Neva ya mind."

With that he left her alone in his room. She sat down on the bed carefully. Her opinion of him had been so drastically changed it made her head spin. She had put so much time in effort in to hating him, and plotting to rescue Aizen. Perhaps, she should put that energy towards a new cause. Like making Ichimaru like her. Judging by the conversations that he had with others about her, he wasn't a fan. And since they were going to be seeing a lot of each other, it made sense to get along.

But she was going to have to be the one to put in the effort. She had never given him a chance. Just assumed that he was the bad guy. Assumed that he was up to no good, when the real bad guy had been in front of her the whole time. Of course you couldn't call Ichimaru innocent, but he wasn't as bad as she had first thought.

She would make the effort to fix past wrongs.

XxXxXx

He sat up slowly. His body crying out in agony at such movement. But he had to get up. His spiritual pressure was missing. He had always felt it. No matter where he was. He could always feel it. So indifferent. So calm. But always there. But now it was gone.

He slowly stood up. Blood covered sand. Of many different people.

Two dead Espada lay in the sand a little ways in the distance. He slowly walked up to them. His blue eyes looked at them carefully.

Tesla. And Nnoitra.

No feelings of grief pass threw him. He's lucky to be alive no thanks to Nnoitra. Bastard is better off dead.

He slowly walks more. He feels that kid fighting. That kids gotten stronger but-

He makes his way to the area where the fight is.

Ichigo.

He's moving slower. His mask is breaking. He's going to loose.

The kid gets tossed over to him.

Golden eyes focus on him. A small smile.

"You're alive,"

Blue eyes focus on the gold ones. "Yeah,"

"I'm glad,"

The blue eyes look away. "Whatever,"

"No I am." The boy gets up slowly. His body is broken in many places. Its shaky. After all this brat is only human. "I felt terrible when Ulquiorra died, I'm just glad you didn't die too,"

The fierce blue eyes focus back to him. Wide, with disbelief. Ulquiorra dead? So he wasn't crazy, the fourth Espada was dead.

"I'm sorry you couldn't beat me." The golden eyes are looking at his opponent now.

"It's not over yet,"

The orange haired brat shakes his head. "It is. There all gone. My town. Family. Friends. All that's left is Inoue. She's the only one left. And I can't get to her. So I'm glad your alive, so I can ask you a favor."

The Zero Espada is right in front of them now.

"Can you take care of her?"

Ulquiorra had been looking after her before. But he was gone now. If the idiot had just stayed in that dimension he had placed him in, that idiot fourth Espada would still be alive. But no. He had to break out of it, and fight and get killed. Stupid.

Yammy raised a giant fist over the human. But the human couldn't do anything. His sword arm completely broken, no strength left to jump away.

"At least tell her, that I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise? That I couldn't get her out of here."

The fist came crashing down. Even he had to look away. The zero Espada laughing in his victory. At his feet lay the shattered sword of his enemy. What was that boy's sword called again? He couldn't remember. He reached down and grabbed the broken blade. Cold.

He made his way threw the white halls. Aizen was not here. Nor was Tousen. But Ichimaru was. Which was odd. Very. But he would think more on that later. He could sense no other Espada's but himself and Yammy of course. Were the others all dead?

He found the orange haired girl in Aizen's throne room. All alone. She was crying. Perhaps she knew already.

She turned to him at the sound of his footsteps. "Grimmjaw!" Surprisingly she smiled and ran up to him.

Was he really all she had left? How pathetic. How pathetic humans were.

"You look terrible!"

An idea came to him.

"You follow me!" he ordered.

She bowed her head. "I can't heal him."

"Why not, you've done it before."

She looked back at him tears again falling from her face. "He took them."

And that's when he noticed. Her hair pins. They were gone.

He had never liked Aizen. He despised the man's existence. Yet he had given him great power.

Perhaps he had been hanging around these humans to long that he felt a bit sorry for them. That he had begun to care just a little bit about them. Perhaps he should have kept his distance from them, as Aizen has always told him too. Perhaps he wouldn't feel sorry for this woman. That he wouldn't feel bad that that human, whom he hated and sort of respected was dead, and perhaps he wouldn't hate the man who had given him his power. Yet he did feel all these things.

And he wanted to avenge those who were hurt. This girl spilling tears in front of him. His dead rival whose broken body still was laying in the sand. And the others who had been hurt because of Aizen Sousuke.

Tousen and Aizen were two men he had hated more then anything. The other one, he had paid little if any attention too. All he knew was that the man always smiled no matter how inappropriate it was to, at the time. And he also he knewthat wherever Aizen went Ichimaru did too.

However Ichimaru was here and Aizen was not. Something was amiss. He could feel the raitsu of new people here. New shikigami that had probably been taken against their will.

Perhaps together they rid themselves of Aizen.

He looked to the crying human again.

"Oi!" he growled at her. "Tell me what's been goin' on,"

XxXxXxXx

Aizen Sousuke was many things. God just happened to be added onto that list. But one thing he was not was an idiot.

He made his way back to Las Noches his followers behind him, and his little charge clinging ever so tightly to his leg.

When he had first started his quest for power he had rid himself of all emotion. And swore that no matter who was killed in front of him, no matter how loyal, he could feel nothing towards them. They were all pawns, nothing more. Any attachment would be his downfall.

That held true for only a short time. For he met a young boy, with fair shin, silver hair and scarlet eyes. A beautiful boy. Who had loved him and served him so faithfully. Never questioning what they were doing. Never question the experiments that he had witnessed at such a young age.

He smiled for everyone, but only really smiled for him. His dear fox.

His only weakness.

A weakness that many may suspect but only for a moment.

A hundred years of loyalty. Not as long as Tousen of course but a long time non the less. Why he had almost raised the boy. Watched him grow up from a thin young boy to a thin but deadly killer.

They had many quarrels in the past. Harsh words had been exchanged many times. Words he sometimes regretted for he knew he had hurt his dear fox deeply. But he would always come back. A smile on his face. And it was if they had never fought.

Gin was his dearest. His love. His heart.

"_I'll rip his heart out in front of you,"_

Byakuya had spoken those words. A threat against the silver haired fox. While he should of killed the noble on the spot, he wanted to make the man suffer for ever suggesting placing a hand on his dearest. And suffer he would.

Yet there were many enemies now in his palace. Some locked up, some not. Still one couldn't be to cautious. So while it hurt them both it was necessary to do so.

To push his love away. To make all around them think they hate each other. That there was nothing between them anymore. Gin would no longer be a target for them.

It worked out well. He had been rather cold towards his love just days before the war. His head had been in other places during their love making. He hadn't always focused his attentions to his fox, as he would have in the past.

When things were a bit calmer and safer and more of these pest exterminated then he could apologize to his dearest Gin. But until then it was only to keep Gin safe.

And to make sure his fox didn't betray him, or plot against him with the others, he had given him Hinamori. A cruel thing to do. It hurt him terribly to see Gin beg for someone else but he had to give him that girl.

Kira had always held Gin's trust. And with his broken heart he would have betrayed him. That he would not have.

With Hinamori there, he would not have to worry. He could take out his needs on her and never have to worry about him becoming attached to her. There was no way his silver fox would ever become attached to that wretched girl.

His fox would understand in a few weeks.

He smiled to himself. He had nothing to fear anymore. And as a God, you really shouldn't have to fear anything at all.

XxXxXxXx

Sorry it took so long. I was on vacation for my 21st birthday ^.^

It's a bit shorter then the others but I feel that it explains quite a bit. Or at least gets the plot rolling. I'll try and have the next chapter a little bit sooner.


	6. Falling in Flower Petals

Chapter Six- Falling in flower petals

She did her best not to bug him to much. She didn't want him to hate her. But she couldn't help talking, a lot. Being quite made her think about her friends and all the bad things that had happened. But she was always afraid that he would hate her.

She mostly just babbled on about silly things like how the bad guys wore white and the good guys black.

"Isn't that strange?" she asked him. Well she asked his back. She was always following him around. Standing behind him when he watched monitors. Or changed the hallways so that Yammy would get lost. Even she smiled at the way he would stumble about the palace, even when Ichimaru didn't do anything he was still lost as ever.

He would talk to her too, sometimes. He told her that no matter how hard he tried he never managed to make Ulquiorra lost. He had tried and tried but never once succeeded. He had gotten every Espada except for him.

But most of the time she did the talking. He never scolded her for going on and on and on. Perhaps he needed to hear something as much as she needed to talk. Because facing reality was a very hard thing to do at the moment.

After all Aizen had achieved his goals. He had killed the King and now considered him self a God.

She was laying in his bed, Ichimaru had let her sleep there, since she arrived in his quarters. Where he slept she didn't know. She felt bad for taking his room, but grateful that he had allowed her to stay and had not decided to share the bed with her.

She was curious as to where he went. She knew from following him that there were not many places that he was allowed to go anymore. He had been barred from many places since Aizen's rise to power.

There was a room in particular that he seemed incredibly heart broken that he could not enter.

He had tried several times but the door would not budge for him. She, of course, had asked him what was in that room, but he didn't answer her.

She was very curious to know what was in that room that he was no longer allowed to enter. She had followed him around so much, she was sure that she could find her way to that door.

So one night, quickly as she could she slipped out of the bedroom. There weren't many Espada around anymore, seeing as how many had met there end with in this palace. Her foot steps made no sound. And no sound came from the castle. Silent as the world it governed.

After several turns her brown eyes winded. The door. She recognized it immediately. The image of Ichimaru's disappointed form in front of it was burned into her mind. His hand placed so gently on the white door. Trying to will it away.

However this door was not shut. It was open just a bit. A light shining threw the small gap.

Looking around carefully Hinamori made her way to the slightly ajar door. With her chocolate colored eyes she took a peek.

It was a room of sunshine. Bright flowers and green grass lined the floor and blue skies that seemed to go on forever.

Without thinking she entered the room. A familiar smell hit her senses. Persimmon! Persimmon trees grew here. That's why Ichimaru's clothes smelled of the fruit. They did grow here! And many other things too. Flowers of yellow and violet, red, and blues. Other fruit as well. Strawberries, and plums. She did love plums. She ran her fingers along the smooth dark colored fruit.

Would Ichimaru mind if she had a plum?

Better yet she should just grab armfuls of the persimmon fruit for him. This room might not be open again.

She could just picture his smile in the morning to come. Maybe he would pat her head and run his thin fingers threw her dark hair as she had seen Aizen do to him many times.

Her cheeks turned a pale pink at the thought. That was silly! Ichimaru would never do something like that! Or at least not to her. He didn't really care for her. And the same went for her too. She didn't care for him either. They were just together because they were forced to be together.

After all he had killed his best friend right in front of her eyes! Rangiku was dead because of him. She frowned at her self. What would all her friends think of her. She had only been with the man for a few days and he had monopolized most of her thoughts.

Hinamori closed her eyes sadly. This was why Aizen had been able to trick her so easily.

How foolish she was, to think that a couple silly fruits would make that man like her even a little bit. He would never like her, he just tolerated her because he had no other choice. He could kill her. But then he'd be alone. He'd have no one.

"Yo!"

She jumped.

A blue haired Espada walked up to her.

"I left the door open, cause I was hopen' Ichimaru would come in, instead I got his lil' charge,"

She swallowed. Was he going to kill her?

"Do you know what this place is?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"This is Ichimaru's garden," he said gruffly.

"His garden?"

The blue eyed Espada looked down at her. "That's why I was surprised that it was locked. Thought he may have locked it himself."

She looked up at him. "He can't get in here. He's tried."

"Tsk," the Espada walked away from her. There was silence for a moment. He turned back to her. "Look. Has Aizen abandoned Ichimaru?"

"I think so,"

The Espada hesitated for a moment. "Look. You're side. Eh, Shikigami side. It's not over yet. That healer woman that's here. She's planning something. And well, I was hopin to get that fox face on our side."

Hinamori blinked a couple of times. "You're on our side?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," he barked. "I don't like you shikigami. But I also don't like Aizen. I want him outta here,"

She nodded. "I'll see what I can do. But is there enough of us?"

The blue haired Espada shrugged. "I dunno. Apparently there are a few shikigami people left from when the town got destroyed. A few captains and what not,"

Her heart fluttered. "Who? Who is still alive?"

He glared at her. "Hell if I know."

Still. She was filled with hope. Toshiro! He could still be alive.

"Look, just pass Ichimaru the message, but only if ya think he can be turned."

She nodded as he left.

There was still hope. All was not lost.

She had to get back to her room. But first.

Hinamori quickly grabbed as many of the persimmon fruit as she could carry. And one plum, hopefully Ichimaru wouldn't mind to much.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Her eyes fluttered open. Someone else was in here. Blinking a few more times her eyes focused on the visitor. It was Ichimaru of course, he was standing at the foot of her bed. His eyes open slightly he was starring at the fruit she had placed at the edge of the bed.

She sat up slowly, but he didn't seem to have noticed. He just starred his head tilted to the side slightly.

"Where did you get these?" he asked at last. Guess he did notice her sitting up.

"I found them in your garden."

His red eyes then turned to her.

She shrank back.

"In my garden?"

She nodded. "The Espada with the blue hair was there. He had gotten in,"

His red eyes continued to stare at her.

"I brought the fruit, cause I thought you'd like it," she said quietly bowing her head.

His bony hand reached out for the fruit.

Her brown eyes watched him nervously.

"I do like persimmon fruits,"

She smiled happily. "I'm sorry you're locked out of your garden."

His eyes were completely closed again. "Hmm," he answered.

"Are you angry?"

"Angry at what?" he asked.

"Aizen."

His eyes peeked open very slightly. Not enough to see the red of his eyes though. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've served him for so long, aren't you upset that he's treating you like this?"

He didn't answer her. He seemed to be thinking of an answer though.

After several moments he spoke again. "What ya getting at?"

She paled. "Excuse me?"

"Why ya asken' me such silly questions? Of course I'm upset. Weren't ya when Aizen left? And ya didn't serve him half as long as I have. Regardless of how I feel bout Aizen, matters little. I owe him quite a bit. He can treat me however he likes far as I'm concerned."

She nodded. "You're a very good liar, Ichimaru."

His trademark smile faded away at these words.

"I can't tell the deference when you do things. When you're really happy or sad, or hurt. But I can say without a doubt that those words were all lies."

His smile appeared on his face. "Then ya would be wrong, Hinamori-chan,"

She frowned as he began to leave the room tucking the fruit away. She quickly got off the bed to follow him. He could be swayed. It would just take a little bit more time.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Even without his sword and his powers mostly sealed he could take out the smaller weaker Arcarnarr. His clothing just bloody rags now, no thanks to Tousen.

For breaking out of his cell he was sure he was going to be killed. That mattered little now. First he had to find him.

It was Aizen's fault that Rukia was dead. That Renji was dead. That that Kurosaki brat, and that ware cat were dead. So with the last remnants of his strength he would kill that which Aizen held dear.

Back when he had first been promoted captain, Ichimaru had followed suit. It was then that he had first noticed that there was a different kind of bond there between Aizen and Ichimaru. More so then just a captain and former lieutenant. It was hard to see though. Both wore almost impenetrable masks that even the most skilled eyes could not see threw.

Nothing escaped his notice though. Gin was one of the captains he could tolerate occasionally and with the right amount of sake the third captain had let it slip once or twice that there was more between the fifth squad captain and third squad captain.

Of course these vague slurred mentions went unnoticed by others Byakuya found them as tidbits worth remembering for one reason or another.

Aizen however gave nothing away. Showing only wariness and distain for the third division. Leading many of the other captains to feel the same.

Of course every man has a tell, no matter who they are. For Byakuya it was his eyes, always giving him away. His gray orbs reflecting how he truly felt. Of course very few knew how to read him.

Aizen's tell was also his eyes. Though it was tough to catch. Byakuya would only catch it when Ichimaru was walking away from Aizen, after a barley civil conversation.

At first the sixth captain had brushed it aside thinking maybe the light had been reflecting of the captains glasses oddly. But he saw it again. And again.

They seemed to loath each others existence, but to the well trained eye it was clearly something else. That something else at the time the noble couldn't even fathom.

It was when the three traitors were leaving. Rising into the sky that he realized what it was.

Even threw the pain from his battle with Ichigo, and the stab wound from Ichimaru he could tell. There masks were gone now. Sousuke and Gins'. Smiles of victory and triumph marked their faces. Gin's tinged only with a small amount of remorse as he glanced down at the broken hearted strawberry blonde. But when his gaze returned to Aizen, it was a look that could only be described as love. Aizen too, just for a moment was returning that look.

So he had decided, as he stood in Las Noches blood dripping off of him, his dead sister's and his own, he decided that Aizen would pay. Even if he had the strength to kill Aizen that would not be who he went after. He would go after Ichimaru. For that would hurt Aizen more then anything else in the world. There is no pain worse then having those dearest stripped from you.

He would know, he felt that sting enough times in his life by now. Hisana, and then his parents, his old friend Kaien, then Rukia who died with one fierce blow from that zero Espada, then his lieutenant Renji, and many others whom had died in the real world and the last remains of spirit pressure of some that were still here fade away.

His spirit power was sealed away. So no flash steps, no kido. His trusted sword also sealed somewhere in this white nightmare of a castle.

He was still a strong man. Perhaps even in this weakened state he could kill Ichimaru. A man with nothing to loose can do remarkable things.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

He had been in his quarters when he felt the ever familiar raitsu stir. Aizen paused in his book. Gin.

Gin usually kept his raitsu hidden and under control. To feel it stirring within the castle was quite unusual.

"Aizen-sama!" a voice called from his door.

His chocolate colored eyes narrowed. "Yes?"

"A prisoner has escaped the cells."

Aizen snapped his book shut in irritation. Impossible. Kaname was in charge of the cells. There was no way that anyone had gotten out. He felt the flutter of Gin's raitsu again.

Realization dawned upon Aizen all at once.

Quickly he opened the door to see a lowly Arcarnarr kneeling in front of it. "What prisoner?"

"One of the captains sir, I'm afraid I don't-"

That was all the new God needed to hear.

Still, a weakened prisoner should be no match for Gin. Something wasn't right.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hinamori watched horrified. There was nothing she could do. She watched as Captain Kuchiki's fingers wrapped around Ichimaru's neck. With each passing second the sixth captain seemed to be getting more of his power back. She could see the beginnings of a kido spell. Blue light appearing at the ends of Kuchiki's finger tips.

He was gaining his raitsu back at an a alarming pace.

And Ichimaru. He wasn't doing anything. Just letting the life be squeezed out of him.

Why? Why not fight back? She wanted to scream those words. Her voice didn't want to work it seemed. Her brown eyes filling with tears at the scene. She stood their frozen unable to assist either side.

Ichimaru just stood there. Kuchiki whispering words to him not loud enough for her to hear.

She gripped the sleeve of her outfit tightly. Thoughts racing threw her head.

Ichimaru was a bad guy. The bad guys had to be defeated. That's how it has to be. In no story that she had ever read, was it the other way around.

But there was hope for him wasn't there? The blue haired Espada had said that he may be able to be swayed. That he might be able to help them all get out of this place. Help them defeat Aizen.

But he was a murder. He helped kill Central 46. He had killed Rangiku!

Yet, she had seen him be rejected by everyone here. Not allowed in the gardens. Not allowed to see Kira. And been replaced at Aizen's side.

A wave of his raitsu shook the room. Her eyes refocused on the scene.

He was allowing himself to be killed.

Hinamori took a step forward.

Why?

Another step.

Because he felt bad about what he did?

Step.

Maybe. Or because death was better then being trapped and unwanted in this horrible place?

Step.

Maybe. All she knew was that the two of them still needed each other. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to see Ichimaru die. Not like this. Especially not like this.

"Captain Kuchiki! Please stop!" she cried. Her steps at a quicker pace now.

His cold gray eyes didn't even flicker in her direction.

Tears. Always tears falling from her eyes. She reached for the arm that was strangling the life from Ichimaru.

"Ichimaru!" she cried, pleading with him this time. "Please, fight back! Don't die," she sobbed the words over and over again. Trying to pry the fingers off the pale neck. "Please, don't die,"

She felt his raitsu flutter around the room once more. The former third captain's knees hit the ground with a soft thud. The silver bangs hanging in front of closed eyes. The pale skin tinted blue.

She could feel another familiar raitsu approach but it was still a ways a way.

She screamed out in despair. Memories of her dear captain pinned to the wall. Blood dripping from his blade, running down the wall. Rangiku being pierced threw the chest while she lay on the ground trying desperately to breath. Watching Hisagi-san be crushed by that abomination.

Now Ichimaru.

Her nails dug into the noble flesh. Scratching at the flesh trying to make the digits release their hold. She sank her teeth into the hand next, time was short, if not up.

Her teeth sank deep drawing blood and it seemed to have at last worked.

Byakuya's eyes turned to her at last his hand jerking away from her. The fingers releasing their hold.

Her teeth did not let go. Fear that they would only return to Ichimaru's throat.

A sound behind her, coughing and grateful gasps for air. At last she removed her teeth from the sixth captain's hand turning to look at the silver haired man.

His skin an unnatural pale. A bony hand around his neck, no doubt terribly bruised and raw.

Without thinking she threw her arms around him. "Thank goodness," she sobbed. He was alive. Not really okay, but alive. She sobbed into his jacket.

"If you do not move, you will die first,"

She glanced back at the noble his hand out the pale blue light at his fingertips again. He was going to kill them both. She closed her eyes tightly waiting for the searing plain of the kido spell Byakuya was going to launch at them.

It never came.

She opened her eyes slightly to see what had sparred them.

Aizen!

He stood tall and powerful, his raitsu angrily swirling around him. He held the sixth captains wrist stopping the spell from hitting them. And in his dark eyes a murderous intent she had never seen before.

A/N-Sorry for late, late updates. I was a bit stuck on this chapter. I've rewritten this like three times. The first one consisting of Aizen talking to Hinamori in the garden, but that didn't work to well with my plans. Yes all will be explained, how Byakuya was able to escape so easily and use kido even though he has his powers sealed.

Though I'm sure its not too terribly hard to figure out who's behind it all. Then maybe it is. Its hard to tell being the writer.

I hope you enjoyed. Now that's its finished its one of my more favorite chapters.


	7. Of Foxes and Plums

Chapter Seven-Of Foxes and Plums

Aizen stood gripping the nobles wrist tightly. The only sounds were strained gasps for air from Ichimaru, and the occasional sobs from Hinamori.

Kuchiki had about to fire off a kido spell. How? His powers were supposed to be sealed. Kaname was running the cells. How had this happened? His eyes narrowed dangerously. The brown eyes never leaving the gray ones. A silent and deadly starring contest.

"Aizen," came a quite but somewhat panicked voice. He glanced behind him for a moment to look at the girl. Her eyes were full of tears, her cheeks stained with traces of them. She was holding on tightly, to his silver fox. "There is something wrong with Ichimaru. His throat, something is broken in it. His voice, I think."

It was a difficult thing to do but he kept his mask on. The flux of his own raitsu had brought his top Espada to him. Handing the Kuchiki over to Starrk he kneeled down towards Gin to see what damage had been done.

Even a God could feel fear, he learned that day. The silver haired man's breathing had turned frantic struggling, to breath against the blood that was building in his throat due to his crushed larynx and other vitals.

Without another thought he scooped up the thin man, flash stepping threw the palace.

He entered the room of the only one that could save Gin's life.

Unohana looked up startled at the sudden intrusion. Her kind eyes swept over Aizen, realization at the scenario, quickly she leapt to action. Isane by her side in a heartbeat, they quickly began to work.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hinamori without a second thought followed Aizen. He was a lot faster then her, and for that she was grateful. He would get Ichimaru to someone who would be able to save him. She hoped.

She was so scared for Ichimaru's life. So scared. What would she do if he was gone? What would happed to her if he died? Back to the cells? Or would she be killed? She followed the traces of Aizen's raitsu that he left behind. Her thoughts were cut short as she saw Aizen waiting out side a room.

A new fear filled her. This would be the first time they would be one on one since that night that she had come to him to tell him of her fears. The night before he would fake his death. She approached him carefully.

His dark eyes also watched her carefully.

"Is he okay?" she asked meekly.

He did not answer her. She had sort of expected that.

"What happened?" he asked her.

Gathering courage she began the short story of the events that had transpired. Of Captain Kuchiki free from his cell attacking Ichimaru who would not fight back. Even when she regained her senses and tried to pry the fingers off his throat, and begged him to live, would do nothing in his defense.

"Ichimaru is so miserable here that he wouldn't even save his on life!" she cried.

Aizens' face was unreadable.

"He can't do anything here anymore!' she continued her voice cracking again, but she had to finish, she had to tell this man, a man that she had once admired and adored more then anything else, what he had done to one of his most loyal followers. "He can't go in the cells to visit Kira-kun, he can't get into most parts of this place anymore, and he's locked out from his garden! His one sanctuary in this hell you call you're palace!"

She looked at her feet when she finished. There it was said.

The door to the room opened and Captain Unohana stepped out glancing at both of them before speaking. "Ichimaru will survive," she stated.

Hinamori let out a sigh of relief.

"Isane, and I were able to fix all of the damage that was done. A moment later and it would have been to late, Aizen-sama" she added the sama part as an afterthought.

As always Aizen looked uncaring, he walked away from both of them.

Hinamori clasped her hands together. "May I see him, please,"

Unohana smiled kindly at her. "Of course," she opened the door again allowing the small girl inside.

She ran to the bed that Ichimaru was laying in. Breathing normal. Thank goodness. She sat in the seat that Isane had provided. Her brown eyes looked over the thin frame. Silver bangs always hanging in front of closed eyes. This time not so squeezed shut, just closed normally. Perhaps he was sleeping. She hesitantly ran a hand threw the silver stands. So silky soft.

Narrow eyes fluttered open at the touch.

She squeaked and quickly removed her hand. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm just- well- I mean I was- you see I thought-"

He lifted a hand and placed a bony finger over her mouth to shush her. His scarlet eyes watching her carefully.

She removed the hand from her face. She held the thin hand tightly. "Sorry," she said again. "I'm glad that your still alive."

His usual smile slipped onto his face and his hand released its self from her grip to move to the top of her head. Patting her gently on the head. Just like she had seen Aizen do to him many times.

She closed her eyes at the touch. Recognition. He was glad that she was there. This simple gesture made her so happy. Happier then she had been in months.

Hinamori stayed by his side. Watched as his scarlet eyes fell closed again. She held tightly to his hand long after it had left her head. He hadn't said anything yet. She wondered if he could? Would he ever speak again? Unohana said that she had fixed him up. Guess she would see.

She too drifted to sleep sometime later.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Aizen's blade drenched in the blood of a noble begged for more. There was one other person responsible.

Hinamori was not lying about what she had said. That he was sure of.

He had not locked Gin out of anything. Especially not the garden that he had watched Gin plant from seeds and nurture into a lush garden. A garden so great that it won the hearts of some of the Espada. Even the colder then ice Ulquiorra had taken a great liking to it. Spending good parts of his days, reading in garden. The first room that he had created the blue skies. skies in this palace because Gin said that the night sky was boring, that he missed the sun light. Skies that were build for Gin and Gin alone. Their first week here, his silver haired fox said that he missed the sunlight. So in one night he had made sunlight for Gin.

Aizen walked threw the white halls his blade still out, scaring every low level Arcarnarr who saw him.

Kaname wasn't as hard to find as he expected. Not to far from where the incident had taken place.

"Kaname," His voice surprisingly calm, to his own surprise.

"Aizen-sama" Tousen turned to him.

"Would you care to explain how Byakuya Kuchiki got out of his cell?"

"He escaped? How unfortunate. I will take more caution to make sure this incident never happens again. Has he been caught?"

"Yes. He will never escape again,"

Tousen frowned. "I see. That was a little severe was it not my lord?"

Aizen ignored the question. "Would you also care to explain to me how he was able to use kido?"

"Kido?"

"I caught him about to kill Ichimaru with a spell."

"I can not say. Thank goodness he only got Ichimaru, no one impo-"

Tousen was slammed against the wall. The seriousness of the situation etched on his face. Aizen never lost his temper.

"Do you not remember who rules this place,"

"You do, my lord,"

"So who are you to undermine my authority?"

Tousen needed to pick his words carefully or they would be his last.

"I believed you had no more use for Ichimaru. So I treated him as we would any low level Arcarnarr."

"Why would you treat my second in command as such?"

Tousen said nothing.

At once the two men understood each other.

Tousen realized that Aizen still cared for Gin. Why he hid it, he did not know, and at this moment it did not matter.

Aizen realized that even after all these many years Tousen was still jealous, still trying to reclaim a seat he never had.

"You were trying to get him killed today. Pushing him and pushing him away till his will to live was snuffed out." Aizen's blade cried out for more blood. No one picked on Shinso's master!

Tousen knowing that no matter what he said, his fate was sealed. "Yes. That was what I did,"

Kyouka Suigetsu screamed it's displeasure at this news.

Aizen too, could not stand for this news.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hinamori's eyes fluttered open. Aizen's raitsu fluttering around the castle.

Her chocolate eyes meet ruby ones.

"Ya still er'?"

His voice was hoarse, and soft, but it was there.

She smiled. "Yes," She still had his thin hand still clutched tightly in her hand. "Are you feeling better?"

He nodded sitting up. His eyes sliding shut again.

"Ichimaru." she said seriously. "You need to get out of this place."

He glanced at her.

"You almost died. If I hadn't been there, you would have!" She was determined to sway him. "There are people who still care about you Ichimaru!"

"Hmm,"

Her cheeks were already turning a bit pink at the words she was about to say. "I care about you! I don't want to see you die. It broke my heart,"

Ichimaru shook his head. "Ya are to trustin' Hinamori-chan," he lifted a hand to her neck. "Ya don' know a thing bout me. I could snap ya lil neck," he ran his fingers along the smooth skin.

"Then I would let you," she felt the fingers stop moving across her skin. "because that means I was wrong about another person I cared about. And I couldn't bare to live threw the pain of that again."

"The pain of givin' someone ya all, and it bein' meaningless to 'em." Gin continued for her.

Two people feeling the same kind of pain from the same person. She closed her eyes. "Please at least promise me, that if you get attacked again you'll at least defend your self?"

There was silence for a moment and he leaned in close and whispered to her.

"Course, just for ya,"

She opened her eyes at the feel of something against her lips. His lips!

His lips were against hers.

She opened them a bit to protest only to have him push his tongue in her mouth. Her thoughts went wild. Who did he think he was? Stealing her first kiss like that. Injured or not this behavior was unacceptable.

Yet she found herself not fighting it, as much as her head told her too. In fact she found herself returning the kiss. His arms wrapping around her. Hers around his shoulders.

It was wonderful. His tongue was long and wide able to explore every inch of her mouth. He was good at this.

The rational part of her mind told her that this wouldn't mean anything tomorrow. He was hurt inside and out and this was just out of desperation. So do your self a favor and don't throw all your first times out the window.

He pulled out of the kiss and leaned to whisper in her ear.

"So what's this big escape plan ya have?"

Her heart filled with joy. Pure and utter joy.

"Ichimaru," she whispered happily back to him.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

His thoughts were only of righting what he had done. Explain it all. And for once in his life apologize. That was the plan.

His blade satisfied humming happily at his side.

Walking back, thoughts and explanations buzzed threw his mind. He had let this go on for too long. He had made a minor calculation in all of this, he never known that Kaname had been jealous of Gin. He must be more careful in his assessment of people.

The door to Unohana's room was open slightly. In just mere minutes he would have Ichimaru back at his side. Keeping his bed warm again. All would be corrected in a matter of moments.

All his thoughts were interrupted as he pushed open the door.

Taking a deep breath at the scene before his eyes, he immediately steeped out. Neither of them ever sensing he had ever been there.

He and Gin would talk tomorrow he decided, as he made his way back to his living quarters. After he got rid of Hinamori, of course.

He had given Hinamori to take his needs out on. He had assumed that he would fuck her. Seeing as how the girl followed him around obediently and she spoke and talk endlessly to him, that he had not done anything to her. Which made Aizen in the back of his mind a little happy, to know that Gin was his and would remain his.

Aizen had assumed that Gin saw Hinamori as a little pest he could do nothing but tolerate.

Twice today he found that he had miscalculated. Hinamori had somehow managed to win over his fox. He would put an end to that immediately.

A/N

A little shorter then I would have liked. But I felt so bad about the chapter mix up that I wanted to write this one and have it out quickly.

So I did some research about crushed larynx, and found that it can happen threw strangulation, though it's very unusual to have it happen that way. I'd decided that in this case it could happen seeing as how Byakuya is stronger then your normal human, even with sealed powers, or more correctly slowly regaining powers. Though I am not a doctor so if I was incorrect about that part my apologies.

Still undecided about the pairing, why I didn't continue writing the chapter. It seems half and half. Aizen or Momo. And one person wants this to turn into a Gin Kira fic. ;) So I'm not sure. I could go either way I like Momo and Aizen.

I hope you enjoyed.


	8. A Silver Tail

Chapter Eight- A Silver Tail

Hinamori happily told Unohana the good news that Ichimaru would come over to help their cause.

Unohana gave her a warm smile. "I am glad to hear that Hinamori-chan. I knew he could be swayed. Ichimaru doesn't seem to be under the watchful of Aizen, and that makes things easier. I'll get the news to Shunsui immediately."

"Shunsui is alive?" her heart dared to hope. "Who else?"

"I couldn't say. I didn't ask. Our communications have to be short or we'll be found out. I'll have Grimmjow open a gate and get me a hell butterfly. We will be out of here very soon."

Once they escaped time would be short before Aizen came after them again. They had to regroup and prepare for a counter attack. And could they rescue everyone in one go? Yachiru would be the toughest to rescue. She was almost always at Aizen's side. The ones in the cells shouldn't be too difficult. Though she had to assume the number had been drastically decreased. Captain Kuchiki must be gone for his break out and attack on Ichimaru.

Her silver haired companion had been moved out of Unohana's room and back to his own. There he had been asleep since. Almost a day and half now. While she was worried, Unohana had told her that it was natural, and his body was just protecting it self and healing. Even Aizen had stopped by to see if the silver haired man had awoken.

She slept on the floor at the end of the bed. She had no where else, since Ichimaru, had reclaimed his bed. She didn't mind one bit.

On day three, she began to worry more. Unohana stopped by for the usual morning check-up.

"Are you sure he is okay?"

The fourth captain smiled her motherly smile. "Of course. His body is just recovering in its on way."

Hinamori still was not convinced. Sleeping for three days was an awfully long time to sleep.

Seeing her worried face Unohana just smiled. "I have known Ichimaru a long time, Hinamori-chan. I've known him since he was a little boy."

"What did he look like?" she interrupted.

"Exactly the same only Hitsugaya size."

Hinamori smiled at the thought of a chibi size Ichimaru.

"As I was saying, I have known Ichimaru since he was just a little boy. And it has always taken him longer to recover, even after my treatments he needs a few extra days. When Aizen was just a lieutenant he would carry in his third seat, worry etched on every part of his face." She smiled at the memories. "I wouldn't say he got sick often, but being so thin and pale made him an easy target for heat strokes. The first time he was put on guard duty. Our first really hot summer day, he passed out. Was in a coma for about a week."

Hinamori eyes turned fearful at this news.

Unohana only laughed at the memory. "Aizen was so worried. Thought he had killed his third seat. And Matsumoto sobbing that he had done just that wasn't helping any." She smiled at the girl beside her. "My point is that, for some people it just takes a little longer to heal. I wouldn't worry to much. He'll be up on his feet in no time you'll see."

Momo looked down at the still form. The only reassuring thing was his chest falling and rising again. Assuring her that he was still breathing.

"Um, I'd like to hear more, stories."

The older woman smiled. "Of course, follow me, and I'll tell you all the stories I can remember.

Hinamori excitedly followed behind the wise captain. Not only would she learn more about Ichimaru but she'd get some dirt on him. Hopefully the next time he brought up her bed wetting past she's have own ammunition to throw back at him.

"Well, Ichimaru certainly hasn't matured any since he was a little child. When he first became the fifth company's third seat he was a quite the headache.

On more then one occasion Aizen had to stop Shinji from strangling the poor thing.

_"THAT BRAT!"_

_"Captain I have to ask you not-"_

_"SHUD UP SOSUKE!"_

_The bi-speckled man gave the forth captain a pleading look. It was unusual for the composed lieutenant to get his feathers ruffled over anything, she decided to have a look in and see what the commotion was._

_The first thing she noticed was that the fifth squad captain was screaming his head off at the newly assigned third seat who had his hands over his ears, eyes squeezed shut._

_"Captain Hirako," she said sternly. "I find your habit of constantly screaming at those smaller then your self, very disturbing."_

_He turned toward her. "This lil son of a bitch stole all my jazz records!"_

_"I didn' take nothen'" argued the little silver haired boy._

_"Like hell you didn't,"_

_The young one ran to Aizen side looking up at him, hoping that he would come to the rescue._

_"Gin-kun," she said kindly kneeling to his level. She gave him a warm smile. "Did you take Captain Hirako's jazz records?"_

_He shook his head._

_"Did you accidentally break them and then hide the broken fragments somewhere?"_

_Again he shook his head._

_"Tsk. He's lyin'"_

_"I isn't lying!" He looked up at Aizen again. Then back to her. He leapt into her arms. "I didn' take nothen'" he cried. "Please believe meh!"_

_She patted him on the back gently. "I believe you, dear,"_

_His hold on her tightened, grateful at the ally he has obtained._

_"Gin," Aizen says sternly. "It isn't right to lie. To me, or to other captains."_

_The silver haired boy looked over his shoulder, a heartbroken expression on his face. "Ya don' believe meh, Aizen-dono?"_

_Tears begin from the corners of the defeated third seat. The fourth captain quickly pulled out a handkerchief from inside her coat. Quickly she wiped away the tears._

_"Do you know who took the records?"_

_He looked away from her. Ah! Now they were getting somewhere._

_"You won't get in trouble if you tell me. And no one will be mad at you anymore."_

_Gin took another glance at Aizen. "I was just talkin' to lieutenant Sarugaki, abo' how much lieutenant Aizen hated Captain Hirako's records. And she said that she did too. She said, if I did her paperwork for Captain Urahara for a week, she's get rid of them for meh."_

_"That bitch!" snarled the blonde captain and he stormed out of the office._

_Unohana looked up at the fifth squad lieutenant. "So it was all for Aizen?"_

_Silver hair nodded._

_"Then I think a certain fifth squad lieutenant owes a certain third seat an apology,"_

_Adjusting his glasses in minor embarrassment, "Yes. My apologies, Gin."_

_Gin still clung to her though. Still hurt at being called a liar._

_"Now, now, Gin," she chided. "I know your mad, but you can be the bigger person right?"_

_"But I'm the smallest one here!"_

_"Yes. I know," she held back a chuckle. Prodigy or not, he still had a lot to learn. "But being the bigger person means, that even though Aizen didn't believe you and hurt your feelings, you forgive him anyway, you be the grown up."_

_He made a face. "Let big ones be big ones?"_

_She glanced at Aizen who was also holding back any laughter._

_"Something like that." She smiled._

_Thinking carefully about this decision he got off her lap. "Very well. I forgive ya Aizen-dono. Howeva ya owe meh a persimmon!"_

_"Of course."_

Hinamori laughed at the story. They were in Unohana's room. She wasn't permitted to go far unless it was an emergency. Isane joined the story time. Also sharing giggles with Momo.

"I have a story with Ichimaru and every captain. He certainly made life interesting at times."

"Oh! Please tell more!" begged Hinamori clasping her hands together.

"Very well, very well,"

_"Watcha' doin?"_

_A girl narrowed her eyes at him. "What does it look like?" she snapped._

_"Don't interrupt their training Gin." scolded Aizen. He continued to make his way to Captain Shihōin._

_"It looks like your just doin summersaults and cartwheels, silly things."_

_"It is part of my training!"_

_"So? It still looks silly."_

_"I'll teach you some respect!" The girl was dressed as a ninja. And she moved like one. Her blade was fast. The silver haired boy was faster however._

_She was striking to kill. Her blade missed every time. Growing more irritated her swings becoming more wild._

_"Sooooooooooooo slow," laughed the silver haired boy. She felt the rage in her spilling over. He was standing on her blade instead of being cut threw by her blade. AND he was laughing at her._

_"You bastard!" she snarled dropping the blade and tackling him._

_Laughing still, he just flashed away leaving her to chase after him._

_"Gin." he felt someone grab him by the back of his uniform. "I told you not to interrupt their training."_

_"Goodness, Soi Fon." the violet haired second captain also holding onto her trouble maker. "What kind of assassin moves were those?"_

_The girl blushed in embarrassment. "My apologies Yoruichi-Sama."_

_"What's your name little guy?" asked the second squad captain._

_"I'm Ichimaru Gin, nice to meat ya!" He held out his hand, despite the good distance between the two._

_She chuckled. "You're the little prodigy. You want to switch squads, and join mine?" The other girl made a horrified face._

_"My apologies Captain Shihōin, but the fifth squad has big plans for Ichimaru." He pulled the young boy away from her._

_"Awww! That's awful stingy of you. And here I thought you had good manors Sousuke!"_

_"As I said my apologies." he gave a her a small bow of respect and then continued to drag Ichimaru away from the two._

_"What a cute little kid,"_

_Soi Fon just glaring after them. "He was not cute," she hissed under her breath._

_"I liked them. Can I go play with them another day?" asked Gin waving goodbye to the two females._

_"No."_

_"Aww." sighed Gin still being dragged, not making any attempt to walk on his on. Much to Aizen's annoyance._

_"I think ya lieutenant is lookin for ya."_

_"Hmmmm," was the reply._

_"Lisa-san is a lil scary, I think ya should go to her."_

_The man lifted his hat a bit to see a smiling but slightly concerned face looking at him._

_"Or, we could both lay here without a care in the world."_

_"I do have cares tho. Lieutenant Aizen is waiting for meh. And then Lisa-san threatened meh and told meh all the things she was gonna do to ya if you didn' get back to the office."_

_"Oh? Sitting here for a moment wont hurt anything, will it?"_

_"I spose not,"_

_"Just set here for a few. And then we'll both get back to work."_

_"Kay'" The small boy took a seat next to the man. Sighing he looked around. This was kind of boring. His eyes locked on to a jug._

_"What's that?"_

_"Oh? It's kind of like juice."_

_"Really? Can I have some?"_

_The man in pink shrugged. "Sure."_

_Happily the silver haired boy grabbed the jug. Taking a big gulp. He immediately wished he hadn't._

_"This is the worst juice I have ever had!" he declared._

_"It gets better the more you drink. It's an acquired taste, I guess you could say." The man tilted his hat down a little now more. Continuing to chew on some kind of plant._

_Gin gave the man a skeptical look but continued to drink._

_some time later_

_Aizen at this point had gone off to look for his third seat. It was unusual for Gin to never to return in the middle of work. In his search he met up with Lieutenant Yadōmaru, who was looking for her captain, which was not unusual. Deciding to assist her with the search, hoping to find Gin along the way._

_"This is hiding spot number thirty-six." she told him approaching a large tree._

_"AISSSSSSHEN!" called a slightly slurred voice._

_"Gin?"_

_The silver haired boy started to run towards him swayed and then fell over, not moving again._

_"Gin?" he called again, a little more worried._

_"I know whose fault this is," hissed Lisa marching over to the tree beating her captain awake. Demanding an explanation of why he would give a little kid alcohol._

_"But Lisaaaaaaaa-chaaaaan! I didn't tell him to drink all of it! He drank all of it! All of it!"_

_Aizen knelt before his very drunk third seat._

_"I don' sheel good,"_

_With a slight smile he scooped up his little charge. He may be a handful but it was moments like this that made it all worth while._

_The shocked face of Unohana as he brought in the drunk little third seat, who almost threw up all over her._

_And of course the priceless moments of the next day, where Shinji and Sousuke both agreed a lesson should be learned here. And made Gin come to work._

"The poor little thing," cried Hinamori threw the tears of laughter. "Are there any good stories of him as a lieutenant?"

"Yes a few. I think," sighed Unohana. Reminiscing of the better days.

"I remember Gin coming in really sick one day," Isane stated. "Aizen was a captain then. That much I recall."

Unohana thought on it for a moment. "Oh I recall. When Aizen just became captain and Ichimaru lieutenant. That was serious."

Hinamori frowned. No laughter this time around.

Unohana sighed. "Ichimaru, I don't know if you have realized can't keep his own body heat up. He gets cold incredibly easy. His hands are always tucked in his sleeves for warmth, I'm sure you've noticed that at least."

Hinamori did recall his hands always being tucked away in his captain's cloths. And even here the sleeves had been extra long.

"It was one of Soul Society's unusually cold days. Snow and bitter winds. Quite unusual for Soul Society. Temperatures were in the single digits."

_"Captain Unohana!"_

_She jumped up at the sudden intrusion. All day long people had been in and out with mild degrees of frost bite._

_She looked to see who was entering her ward so rudely. To her surprise- "Captain Aizen?"_

_He was out of breath his cheeks red from the cold winds. His brown hair messy and tainted with snowflakes. His face etched with worry. "He didn't wake up,"_

_Her eyes drifted to his arms. Wrapped tightly in Aizen's captain coat she could see silver strands of hair._

_"Follow me," she ordered leading him to a spare room. Taking the bundle from the fifth squad captain. She hadn't seen Gin in her wards for some time now. He certainly had grown a bit. Very tall now. But still so skinny._

_She felt the very pale skin. Ice cold. Breathing faint. "He has gone into a hypothermic coma." she stated. "You're lucky you found him when you did."_

_"Isn't it unusual for a Captain to go into a lieutenant's room?" asked a younger and shorter Isane. She was carrying hot towels and handing them to her captain._

_Unohana sparred a glance at Aizen. Ah! So that's how it was. She wasn't one to judge lifestyles. Aizen was probably awoken by the ice cold body. After trying to wake him realized all was not right._

_"He'll be alright," she assured him. "You got him here in time. Go relax and have some tea."_

_Hesitantly he exited out of the room. Leaving his precious lieutenant in her hands._

_"Well isn't strange? You wouldn't go into my room,"_

_"Hush Isane," scolded the elder woman._

_The woman quickly kept any and all comments to her self._

_After much work and continuous check ups the fifth squad lieutenant was in the clear._

_"You're cutting my life short," sighed Aizen patting the silver strands. Ichimaru of course smiling up at him._

"That's why I never understood how they came to show such resentment towards each other. Of course now I know it was all an act." sighed the fourth squad captain. They had been joined by one more. The sixth Espada had come in and the sound of there laughter at previous stories.

"That was a sad story. Tell a funny one like before." he grumbled.

"Well. Personally, my favorite Ichimaru moment was when he had been promoted to captain."

Isane started laughing uncontrollably.

Hinamori's eyes lit up. She hadn't been there for that day. Nor did she want to being that she despised the man at the time.

_It had been such a nice ceremony as they always were for the new captains. They had two new ones. Byakuya Kuchiki and Ichimaru Gin. They had been handed their new coats baring the number of their new squad._

_Once it had ended and Head Commander had left Ichimaru burst into a fit of cheers, for him self._

_"I did it! I did it! I did it!" He hugged his friend Matsumoto Rangiku, also just recently promoted._

_" I know. Congratulations," she struggled to say as he squeezed the life out of her._

_Still cheering and bouncing around. He looked very silly next to the very composed Kuchiki._

_Ukitake and Shunsui laughed at the display being the oldest of captains it was nice to see someone get excited about it. Unohana was also proud of the newly appointed captain. He had come a long way._

_"Who would of eva thought two kids like us would eva get this far,"_

_"Yes well, now you have to really crack down and be serious. You're a captain now so you should really act like one" she said normally, now that she had been released._

_"Phssss," he put on the white coat barring the numbers of squad three. "I'll have my lieutenant do all the important things for me. I'll sneak out even more now to drink with ya."_

_Aizen cast a glare at his former lieutenants way at this news._

_She looked happy at this news but in front of the other captains she couldn't express her gratitude._

_"Ran-chan!" he said suddenly. "Catch me!"_

_"What?"_

_"Catch meeeeeeh!" he demanded._

_"I can-"_

_"Tag your it!" and with that he was gone in a flash._

_"Gin! I mean-" she glanced at the other captains. "Captain Ichimaru!" and with that she chased after._

_The older captains walked off laughing at the younger generations._

_Kuchiki stalked off, his adopted sister wide eyes and frightened at the shocking display. Tousen also shaking his head stalked off._

_Last was Unohana Isane and Aizen. He cast them both a wary glance._

_Unohana smiled back at him while Isane fought back the laughter._

_"It's good to see Captain Ichimaru, hasn't grown up at all, since I first met him."_

_Aizen sighed warily and also left._

Even Grimmjow sparred a few chuckles at the story.

"There are many more I could tell, but I believe its time for another check up on our patient."

"It all happened so suddenly," continued Unohana, her and Hinamori heading towards Ichimaru's room.

"What did?"

"When everyone just started to hate him. I found it so strange. It seemed like one day, he was jumping out of the tenth divisions office window, to avoid being turned into an ice statue and then no one would spare him a hello. I remember hearing from Aizen that he was not to be trusted anymore. It was all so strange. But I didn't act on my instincts. I ignored my feelings. I watched it all unfold before my eyes and did nothing. I watched Aizen and Ichimaru have spats. The horrible things that were said. And I didn't chase after Ichimaru, and ask him what that was. He was so defeated after those fights. And yet I did nothing."

She sighed sadly.

"At least, you weren't completely blind like I was." Hinamori sadly.

"Aizen is a master of illusions, but his words are even deadlier. In a way we all fell to them. You being the closest, the damage was greater. You see clearly now, and that is what matters."

Hinamori smiled at these words.

The two woman pushed open Ichimaru's door. Inside was the silver haired man dressed in his usual attire. Beside him Aizen.

"There you are," the lord of the palace said glaring at Hinamori. "Lock her up," he ordered. The elder Espada grabbed her.

She struggled against him. Her eyes on Gin, who looked still not well, and defeated.

"What are you going to do to him!" she screamed at her former captain.

He ignored her screeches. "Unohana you may go back to your room."

"With all do respect I must insist that I-"

"Ichimaru is fine. You may go back to your room."

Defeated Unohana could only obey glancing at Gin and then a wary glance to Momo before being pushed away.

"Ichimaru!" cried Hinamori as she was being pulled away Fighting with all her might to stay and say what needed to be said. "Don't listen to anything he says! He's a liar and he'll just hurt you again! Don't listen! Please! Remember that! Ichimaru!" she screamed his name long after she couldn't see him of the room anymore. She screamed and wailed all the way to her old cell. She screamed until she couldn't anymore. Until all she could do was cry and sob.

In the cell next to hers was Kira. He had listened to her wails and terrifying screams as she had been dragged down here. Last time he had seen her she had been with his captain.

And now she was back here screaming and sobbing his name. And with this new information, he could only come to one conclusion. Already beaten and tired of being in this cell and now he had to assume his captain was dead. It broke him completely. Momo was not the only one crying in her cell.

Aizen glanced at his second. "Let us talk Gin,"

A/N I liked writing this chapter lots. It was fun. A bit crackish if I do say do my self. Every one of chibi Gin's adventure I made up. Cept for one. Where he plays tag with Rangiku. That was a mission in the Bleach DS game, Dark Souls. It was one of the missions where Matsumoto has to play tag with Gin. Not as hard as out jumping Yachiru or answering stupid questions for Mayuri while Nemu beat the crap out of you, but it had its moments.

All the events could have happened too, if my bleach time line is correct. When Gin got there, there was ten years, before everyone was banished and all. So yeah, if I am incorrect my apologies.

And my justification for making Gin more powerful then knowledgeable at the early years of his life was because he was still young. Growing up in the worst parts only gives you street smarts not book smarts. He looked a lot younger in the manga then he did at the show at the time too. Also my reasoning for things. His slang was probably a lot worse when he was younger too. Sorry for any complaints you may have about that. It's all justified in my head….if that counts.


	9. The Choices that We Make

Chapter Nine- The Choices that we Make

Unohana was sent back to her room, and to her relief Grimmjow was still there.

His fierce blue eyes scanned her expression. "What's going down?" he demanded.

"Aizen has locked Hinamori back in the cells. I have a feeling he may have an idea of what's going on. The sooner we get the ball rolling the better."

"I could go and see if there ready down there," he growled. "I don't think they are though."

"Time is short. Aizen has Ichimaru alone. If he talks," she hesitated. "Ichimaru doesn't know much of our plans but he knows there are plans. It all goes up in smoke if he talks."

"Got it. It's go time then!" His eyes lit up at a possible battle. "I'll go get the reinforcements then." Without another word he was gone.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Aizen carefully shut the door blocking out the shrill screams of Hinamori. "I'm sorry for forcing you awake, but I am afraid I couldn't wait any longer for you to wake up on your own."

Gin just wanted to focus on standing at the moment. "Can't really see what ya would need to speak to me, all of a sudden."

Aizen smiled sadly. "There is something that I need to explain to you."

Gin opened his eyes. There was no need to continue to wear the masks at the moment. Aizen wasn't wearing his. "Words from ya have become to painful to bear anymore. I'd rather ya just left me be, as you have these past few weeks."

"Don't say things like that until I have said what I need to say." scolded Aizen. He stepped closer to the silver haired man. He ran a hand across the pale cheek. "I must apologize all that I have put you through. For pushing you away."

Gin's entire being was frozen. Truth or lies?

"I was pushing you away, to protect you."

Gin felt Aizen's hot breath on his lips. His mind a flurry of emotions.

"You are, and have always been my heart. Something I must protect above all else. Gin"

With that lips were crushed against his. His heart at last rising above the other voices. Pain! Pain! This man only causes you to hurt. His brain sliding in a close second, agreeing. He says he loves you now, forever and ever. What about a week from now, two weeks. There is no guarantee when it comes to Aizen Sousuke. He'll love you only when its convenient.

He placed a hand on Aizen's chest and pushed the man away. He licked his lips slowly. "Lies," he hissed.

Chocolate eyes narrowed in anger. "Lies?" Aizen repeated the words.

"Lies, that's all people like ya an I know how to do," Ichimaru stepped back, out of the brunettes reach, just in case. "We lie an lie, so we can get what we want. You say ya care now, what about in the next hundred years? Will ya still want and care bout me then?"

"You are not listening to me," Aizen said calmly, but it was strained. "I never stopped caring about you. I just had to act it, to keep you safe. Byakuya Kuchiki was after you more then anything. He wanted to hurt me, so going after you was the best way to do that. Even that didn't work though. He still got you, and you almost died a few days ago, and I couldn't bare you dying."

The words sounded sincere warm and kind. His eyes were as cold. They did not match the pretty words he was saying. Had they ever? Gin couldn't remember. All he knew was that Aizen had not been at his bedside these past few days. Holding his hand, telling him to continue to live, that despite all that he had done, she still cared about him. Maybe if Aizen had been saying these words to him just a few days ago he might have believed him, but at this moment, right now, he couldn't. The words Aizen spoke sounded so fake, and false compared to the sincere ones he had days earlier.

Again Gin shook his head. "I can't believe ya,"

Irritation spread its way threw Aizen's body. "So were you so easily charmed by Hinamori? Are you that easily swayed?"

"Ah," sneered Ichimaru an expression he hardly ever used. "So we come to it at last. The real soar spot in all this. For someone who gave me her, even though I asked ya not to, ya seem pretty upset by the relationship we've come to have."

Aizen crossed his arms. "What do you think you're doing Gin? Have you forgotten that you are a traitor? You think you can take her hand and stroll right into Soul Society and all would be forgotten? You go with her and they'll skin you alive. Or you can stay with me and rule this world of life and death with me. I'll forgive you for your poor behavior and we let everything go. Back to the way things used to be." Aizen held out his hand.

Another chance. The last chance. Take his hand. Be what they used to be together. Going back would not be easy, near impossible. He would not be greeted with open arms that's for sure. He was looking at prison to say the least.

He swallowed. The choices weighing heavily in his mind.

He couldn't pick.

At that moment the whole palace shook a large amount of spiritual pressure had just been freed. Aizen and Gin both sharing the same looks of shock at the familiar raitsu swirling threw out the palace. The overwhelming power belonged to none other then….

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXX

"Yo!" called Grimmjow he stood in the dungeons glancing at the cells. "Its time for an uprising. Doncha' think?" With out another thought he began busting the locks of the cells. His arms full of the prisoners swords. Some no longer had masters he realized when he found fewer prisoners then swords.

He needed to free these people then as quickly as possible head to the Soul Society to get the rest of them.

The last cell had a man covered in restraints. His cloths hung of his mangled body. Still fresh marks along his body bleeding freely. He looked up at the sixth Espada a mad gleam in his eye.

"Can you still fight?" asked Grimmjow skeptically.

"Course I can. This body puts me on equal footing with everybody else now."

The blue haired Espada smiled wickedly. "That's the spirit!" He cut the restraints binding the man allowing his spirit pressure to flow freely. It was powerful, almost making the sixth Espada fall to his knees. But it was strong, and it would buy him enough time to get the others.

Somewhere deep in the castle Yachiru sat moping on her bead. The swirl of the ever so familiar raitsu swallowed her up. She smiled happily. "Ken-chan is awake!" With that she busted a whole threw the wall and ran threw the opening, and then made another opening threw a wall. She had to get to Kenny! She didn't want to miss out on his fights.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hinamori-chan!" Kira now free from his cell came to hers. His legs hurt from sitting in his cell all day and night. He forced them to stand. "Hinamori-chan!"

It seemed she had not even noticed her cell had been opened. She sat huddled in the corner her knees drawn up to her chest.

He quickly went to her side.

"Hinamori, are you okay. Her cheeks were tear stained, eyes red. He couldn't say he was much better though.

"Kira-kun." she said at last.

"What happened?"

She sniffed. "Aizen, he's poison. Everything he says and does, its lies. And Ichimaru, he's going to be poisoned again."

Kira nodded, sort of understanding. It sounded like Captain Ichimaru was okay, that was the first step.

"Then save him"

Both Lieutenants looked up.

It was the orange haired girl. The one that Rukia-san and Renji-kun had gone to rescue along with a few humans.

Hinamori wasn't aware that she had been locked in here as well.

"If you care about him then run to him, and save him." She looked so sad. So, so sad. As she should. Her whole town was gone. All that she loved was gone.

Hinamori did not want to be in the same boat as her. She had lost many things. Renji-kun was gone, as well as others. But there were more back in Soul Society that were still alive. Shiro-chan might be there. And Kira-kun was still at her side. She nodded and stood up slowly.

She had to go find Ichimaru.

Taking a deep breath she ran off Kira close behind. No doubt he wanted to save his captain too.

Her heart was racing. Oh, how she hoped that Ichimaru had not flip flopped sides again. That he still held true to what he said to her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Aizen turned his dark eyes to Gin. "What is going on?"

The silver haired man shrugged. "Prison break I guess," Gin smiled. "Word on the street says that more from Soul Society are comin', thanks to a turn coat Espada,"

There was no need to state who that turn coat was. Now all Aizen had was two Espada. His top two, but two none the less. He was in a nasty predicament. Two Espada and two former captains. One not in peak condition. "I hate to say it. I think we should retreat. Leave the remainder of our army here."

Gin's heart still torn.

Aizen didn't seem in the mood to discus this again.

Gin didn't have the heart or the strength to fight with him anymore.

"RED FIRE CANNON!" came a voice. A red fire ball burst threw the wall both men jumping out of its way.

Gin felt a hand grab his and pull him out of the newly made door.

"Izuru!" Gin said happily once into the hallway. The blonde boy pulled him along. Hinamori appearing at his other side.

"How are you feeling Ichimaru?" she asked, worry etched on her face.

"I've been better." he admitted.

"Where should we go, Hinamori-chan?" asked Kira glancing behind him to see if Aizen was following them.

"Towards Captain Zaraki, it'll be safer if were with him,"

Kira nodded in understanding.

Finding Kenpachi was not a hard task. His raitsu was pouring out as he fought. . Unohana her blade drawn out as well, backing the eleventh captain. Isane and the orange haired girl on the opposite side of the room keeping their distance from the battle. Nemu appearing next to Hinamori.

"Nemu-san," said Hinamori a little surprised. "Are you on our side?"

"Yes," she stated. "Mayuri-Sama only agreed to work with Aizen, so he can gather Espada data."

Of course. That sounded like him.

Unohana slashed away the weak hollows that were surrounding them. "I would dodge if I were you Zaraki," she advised.

He smiled a terrifying grin. Both jumped to an opposite side of the room as a blue cero destroyed the wall they had been fighting against.

The blue haired Espada a wild smile on his face appeared in front of the new opeing. "Good there is still some for me,"

Behind him, blades drawn were the survivors of the war.

Hinamori's eyes lit up as the survivors entered the fray.

The flash goddess her self, ripping threw hollows as if they were paper.

The shop owner his blade singing as he went straight to an approaching Espada.

Hatless and pink coatless and for once sober, the eighth captain rushing in his two blades drawn, grief still etched on his face, there were many who would pay for his losses.

His strict lieutenant also following him. Her not often seen blade at her hip, ready to provide any back up her captain may need.

The tattooed lietenuiant his sword released his blade like scythes ready to reap the lives of hollows.

The fair fifth seat of the eleventh squad was surprisingly alone. His blade seemed to cry out in sadness as he appeared at his captains side alone. The strong captain looking down at him understanding written on his face.

Only one vizard entered the fray. The silver haired man, the lone vizard glanced around the room to see if any of his friends had been taken captive here.

Even Hinamori knew that only two had been taken, neither of them had been in the cells when they left it. There blades still in the pile that the sixth Espada had left on the floor.

One last person came in. Hinamori's heart filled with joy. White spiky hair, the ice flying out from his blade. Toshiro!

"Shiro-chan!" she cried out leaving Ichimaru's side to run to his.

His icy blue green eyes filled with relief at the site of her.

"Hinamori!" the two embraced each other. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I thought you had been killed," she sobbed.

He pushed her away his eyes catching something.

"You," he hissed.

Gin tilted his head to the side.

"No wait," cried Hinamori seeing where this was going.

No longer hearing her the tenth captain launched himself at the former third.

The force of the charge knocking them threw the wall into the next room.

She followed, panic filling her, hoping that Ichimaru had drawn his blade this time.


	10. Live For Me, I’ll Fight For You

Chapter Ten- Live For Me, I'll Fight For You

Her brown eyes filled with worry as she looked into the room where the two had smashed into. The dust from the crash settling so she could see the two. To her great relief both men had their blades drawn. Toshiro's long icy blade and Gin's short but dangerous blade.

Now she needed to stop them. But how?

Despite Gin's health he was doing a good job of gracefully dodging the tenth captain's swings. It didn't help that Hitsugaya was furiously slashing at the traitor in a blind rage.

"Shiro-chan please stop!" she cried out but he didn't seem to hear her. His only intent was on killing Ichimaru.

And why should she stop him she realized. Gin was the enemy. The traitor. The bad guy. But. He had been so kind to her. He could have done terrible things to her. Hurt her. Rape her. But he hadn't done any of those things. He had given her his bed and listened to her non stop babbling and chattering. Never once complaining, unlike Hitsugaya who told her to shut up quite often.

She had gone over all of this in her head before. She didn't want to see Ichimaru hurt. When she saw him lying broken in his bed, wondering if he'd ever wake up, she had decided that she never wanted to see him like that again. He, like her self, had been poisoned by Aizen. She had to try and save him.

So with out another thought she ran to the men. Toshiro his blade furiously clashing against Gins'.

She leapt in front of Gin her arms out. "Please stop!" she cried. Her brown eyes shining with determination.

The tenth captain's blade stopping just inches from her face. His eyes wide at the realization that he had almost cut her in half. "Hinamori" he said startled.

"Please stop fighting him. He's not the bad guy anymore."

The wide eyes narrowed again. "Get out of the way."

"He's on our side. Ask Captain Unohana. He's as much the victim as I am." She looked him directly in the eye, needing to convince him. "Please. He helped me in here. Terrible things could have happened to me in here but he shielded me from it all. Please don't fight him."

The white haired boy lowered his weapon slightly. "Momo," he sighed. "Even if what you say is true. He betrayed Soul Society and helped murder Central Forty Six. And so many people are dead. Matsumoto," he had such a pained face when he spoke her name. "He can't just walk back into Soul Society like nothing has happened. He has to pay and suffer for the crimes that he has committed!"

"He has been suffering and paying!" she cried out. "I know he has."

"Your words don't count for much considering how long you've been at his side. And considering your previous history with traitors."

She bowed her head sadly. "If your going to fight him then you'll be fighting me too,"

Blue green eyes were wide again. "Hinamori," he sighed. "I wish I could believe this but you were like this for Aizen too."

"I know but I've learned things. I've seen both Aizen and Ichimaru for who they are. Who they are underneath the masks they hide in."

The tenth captain lowered his blade completely. He ran a hand through his spiky hair. He hated Ichimaru. Hated him fully and completely. And even though he heard Momo speak like this before there was something different about this time. He couldn't place what it was. But she meant every word. She spoke even more passionately then she had about Aizen. Her eyes shined with a light they never quite had when she spoke of her former captain. There might be a possibility that she was right as much as he hated to admit it.

"Fine he huffed." turning his back on the both of them. "There are bigger things to worry about. I'm going to find Aizen."

She nodded relief etched in her features. "Thank you Shiro-chan."

He glared at the pale silver haired man hopping that he wasn't once again making a bad decision that Hinamori wouldn't be mortally wounded when he turned around. They would deal with Ichimaru when they got back to Soul Society. He would save Hinamori the pain of watching him cut down the man himself. He would be executed back home, regardless of what he did here.

He went back to the main battle outside. Hollows pouring in the castle trying to save their God. He slashed threw them with ease. He had to find Aizen and kill him for all that he had done. All of the lives that he had uprooted, destroyed and harmed. For all his treachery. All of those things he would pay for.

Hinamori stood looking out watching all that had transpired in the hallway. Amazed that the battle had started there and ended there. She saw and heard it all. She couldn't look away. The terrifying laughter of Kenpachi as he ripped threw the Hollows and practically tore to pieces the first Espada. The bored looking first who was amazingly observant had no idea what he was in for when his and Kenpachi's blades met. The wild captain had no kind of strategy he just went in swinging and tore apart the Primera Espada.

The Second Espada was blown to pieces by Yoruichi. The violet haired woman her yellow eyes wild as she took the life of the creature that had taken Soi Fon's life.

After they had cleared the hallway. The search for Aizen was on. Even Hinamori knew that he must have fled long ago.

Kira appeared at her side. "We need to make a choice."

"About what?" she asked already knowing what it was.

"Captain Ichimaru." Kira glances over at his captain. "If we take him with us, they'll kill him. Regardless of what we say, they'll do it because Aizen isn't here to be killed. They need to put all the blame on someone."

She shook her head hating the words. Hating them because they were true.

"Why? Why can't we explain it to them? Why can't they understand?"

"Look at how few of us there are."

"But."

"Hinamori-chan, I know how you feel. I really do."

She had tears running down her face. She knew she did. She turned to look at the man who had helped open her eyes. His fate in her hands.

"What should I do?" she whispered to no one in particular.

Ichimaru who hadn't said a word since they had saved him from Aizen's grasp, at last spoke. "There are only two options ya have Hinamori-chan. One, take me captive to Soul Society. Where I will be tried as a criminal and traitor and most likely found guilty. Or two, save me the trouble of waiting for my fate, and get it over with now."

"Does your life mean so little that you wont even fight for it?"

He tilted his head to the side "Hm?"

She shook her head angry now. She ran to him grabbing the white cloth of his clothes tightly only wanting to beat him for being so stupid. "I'm sorry he hurt you. He hurt me to. But you have to keep moving forward. Live for as long as you can to prove to him that you are worth something."

"Speakin from experience?"

She looked up at him determination in her chocolate colored eyes. Tears long gone. "You have to remember that there are people who still care about you."

"And who might tha be?" he asked, but his familiar wicked smile was there. He was teasing her.

She frowned at him. Now was not the time for his jokes. Though she was glad he was becoming his old idiotic self again.

"There is one other solution I can think of." she began. She knew it would work but she didn't think she'd ever see him again if they made this choice. Yet. It would keep him alive.

And at this point that was all they could hope for.

A/N Soooo sorry for late LATE updates. I went on a crazy sudden road trip. And when I say sudden it was literally "Hey you wanna drive somewhere?" "Ya" and that led to me being very far from home with no clothes, no tooth brush and no laptop. 500 miles from home….ya…WELL regardless there is only one chapter left for this story. That would rap up all the loose ends. I know this chapter is short much to my displeasure. The last one will take care of it all. And yes as you may have noticed that this did not turn into the Aizen Gin that I know many of you wanted. I'll make it up to you crazy AizGin fan girls and boys? (It's okay I'm a crazy AizGin fan girl too.) I'll write a story soon just for you guys. Just tell me if you want angst of fluff or what ever I'll deliver it for you. Again sorry for late updates and hope you enjoyed.


	11. Fixing the Damage

Chapter Eleven- Fixing the Damage

Hinamori stood in the meeting hall of the first division. Captain and vice captain stood. The Gotei Thirteen was broken but not defeated. It was different to see new faces in the hall. The old ones long gone. The thought was sad. Many dear friends were gone. But as the years had passed positions had been filled.

The new head captain Shunsui stood at the head captain's spot. Taking on all the roles and responsibilities it entailed. His lietenuiant Nanao stood slightly behind him. She would help keep him on task. Though by the look of the new head captain he looked to be a changed man. No longer wearing his hat or pink coat. A look of seriousness on his face. Nanao looked as if she would rather have her old drunk captain back.

In the second captain's place was the once exiled flash goddess. Taking Soi Fon's place and her old position. She no longer held the cocky grin that she used to wear. An air of seriousness surrounded her now. Behind her was one of the humans killed when Aizen destroyed the city. Her name was Tatsuki. She stood tall and somber just behind the flash goddess.

In the seat of the third stood Hisagi who had performed a wonderful bankei in front of everyone. He had learned it while training in the fake town before the final siege of Hueco Mundo. Behind him Kira. He glanced at Hinamori his eyes sad. A thought had crossed her mind, at one time, if he would be able to still do well without Ichimaru. Hisagi was quite efficient. Not nearly as much paperwork to keep Kira's thoughts preoccupied. But he had done well. Regaining the courage he seemed to have lost under the former third.

Unohana and Isane still in control of the fourth. The healing division suffering the least amount of loss, mostly helping people get over the tragedies that had occurred. They had taken in the girl, Orihime. She had no where else to go. She excelled in healing and was happy to have her familiar faces here. Her friend Tatsuki would visit often. Telling stories of days long lost. Sheding tears still over the substitute shikigami Ichigo. The noble Rukia, the Quincy boy. And the other boy. Sado. Who's body had never been found.

Momo stood behind not a man with a kind smile dark eyes and thick brown hair that fell into place perfectly, but a man with a goofy smile gray eyes and messy blonde hair that made her want to brush it out. Urahara Kisuke was her captain. Also allowed to come back. Not the science division that he enjoyed, but back in Soul Society and captain position non the less. Everyone felt that it would be better if he stayed away from the twelfth division. She had been wary of the man at first, but he was a good man. Looking after her carefully. She was the complete opposite of his former second. He was grateful that he wasn't going to be kicked in the crotch by her, but also a little put out that she never complained or grumbled about anything. Not putting up even a little bit of a fight.

The sixth division was a symbol of the changes that would ensue here. Wild blue hair stood out in the room. His white clothing standing out among the black. He was non other then Grimmjow Jagerjacks. He was not a noble or Kuchiki, and if Byakuya had ever found out he would have been furious. The first Espada to have joined ranks with the Shikigami. He spent most of his time in Hueco Mundo keeping things intact and calm after Aizen's reign. His lieutenant had green hair. She was also an Espada. A little thing though. According the girl Orihime she was once an Espada that lost her powers. Though not as wild as she used to be. Now regaining her memories of the past. She would take care of the division while her captain was away. She happily wore the garbs of the Shikigami just happy to be excepted.

The seventh was in the care of Ichigo's father Isshin. Hinamori didn't know much about the man. Only that he was once a captain. He had been away the day Aizen destroyed his town and his daughters had been killed. He shed his fake human body and went straight to Soul Society to find his girls. After that he became a captain. There, after all, was nothing left for him in the human world. Still, the loss of Ichigo was still weighing heavily on his heart. The boy had been in soul form when he died, so he went right back into the circle of life. He had been reborn somewhere. His memories of the life he had once had long gone. He refused a lieutenant, saying that it would have been Ichigo's spot. Even though everyone knew the boy should have been a Captain, and that he would never take a seat under his dad.

The now sober Yumichika was in charge of the eighth. He had lost his obnoxious buoyant attitude and became serious after the death of his dear friend. He left the eleventh after showing what his sword had a kido ability. After much practicing he had achieved the necessary requirements for a captain position. Taking the spot that should have been Ikkaku's, had he survived.

The ninth was retaken by the last remaining Visord. Kensei retook his position despite the painful memories. He was the first and only Visord on the Gotei Thirteen. Another first for Soul Society.

Spiky white hair still stood out in the room. Hitsugaya a few inches taller, but still captain. His lieutenant was not a busty strawberry blonde. For that woman was gone. But a slightly flat grumpy dark haired girl. The familiar scowl of her late brother graced her face. Karin stood proudly behind her captain. She only centimeters taller then him. They were a good team. But the look in the blue green eyes showed that he missed his office that always smelled of Saki. Karin could not be Rangiku. She tried at first. But realizing it was hopeless just tried to show the short captain that she was just as good.

Eleventh was unchanged. They missed their brother Ikkaku. But Kenpachi knew that Ikkaku wouldn't want them to mourn over him. And since the loss of Yumichika's help in the eleventh, Yachiru was a little more down to earth. Getting her paper work done. Or at least trying. The events of the war hadn't really had a heavy effect on her. But what did effect her was the people who had been effected. She could be found at the empty manor of the Kuchiki family. The royal family gone. Wondering what ever happened to her second favorite captain. No one had ever told her. Though as she got older she could guess. She missed him dearly. She wondered threw the dusty and empty halls. She did the only thing she could do and took care of the remaining coy in the pond.

The twelfth was also unchanged. Neither Mayuri or Nemu cared of what became of the others. Their work continued as if nothing had happened. The new data that the Mayuri had found was the only clue that a war had happened.

The thirteenth squad. Also had lost it's captain. That position had remained opened the longest. Perhaps Shunsui felt that replacing the captain there, would be erasing Ukitake's memory from there. The same reason that the sickly captain never replaced it's lieutenant. That squad had also been hit hard in the war. The captain, the two third seats and Rukia all gone. And not having a lieutenant didn't help in the least. That squad suffered. At last the Shiba's came to the rescue, by Yoruichi's request. Kukaku and her little brother Ganju took over the squad. The elder sibling was doing it only out of respect for her brother. That he would have wanted them to help. It was only temporary she informed them. Yet she was still here, no replacement to be found.

Yes here they all stood. Aizen had not been captured. Nor had Ichimaru. Everyday they were hunted. It made Hinamori nervous.

Kira and herself with the help of Unohana and Isane had helped the thin captain escape.

"_Run. Run as far as you can. Hide." she told the silver haired man. She was nervous for him. He had to get away. He just had to. Kira looked pale. He too worried for his former captain._

"_Don't be so sad," he whispered to her. _

"_I'm not." she lied. She would never seem him again after this. She felt a pain in her center when she thought of this. "Just returning the favor."_

"_This isn't goodbye," he smiled. "You'll find me again. I know you will,"_

She smiled. She had found him again. Though Unohana might have had something to do with it. A simple hollow extermination was not a task for a lieutenant. But she went with little complaint.

With a simple swipe of her blade the weak hollow was exterminated. The kenso was performed on the freed soul. With a sigh she sheathed her blade.

"Bravo!" came a voice. A pair of hands clapping at her performance.

She turned around quickly to see a squinted pair of eyes. A wicked, mocking smile. And silver hair that shined in the moonlight.

The emptiness that she had been feeling suddenly filled. How long had it been since she had seen him last? A year. Two? It didn't matter she ran towards him without thinking. She wrapped her arms around his thin waist.

"Ichimaru!" she cried happily.

His hand rubbed her back.

From that moment on she visited him one weekend a month. It was all she could afford. Only twelve times a year. But for beings like them all they had was time. She felt bad that Ichimaru was all alone. He had to stay hidden. No contact with anyone. She suspected Unohana visited occasionally. And Izuru came very, very rarely but he wanted to come more.

She took her visits with the former captain to heart. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when ever she saw him. And every time he touched her she blushed a shade of pink. Even to her the symptoms were obvious, and she had suspected it since she helped him escape, and before that, probably.

What she needed was another girl to talk to. Yet, good gal pals were in short supply. Nanao was always so busy, and she wasn't the ideal person to talk to. Yoruichi was perceptive and nosey she would figure out who, she was talking about. Isane and Nemu were useless in this department. As was Yachiru. And she didn't know Kukuku well enough to ask about something like that. She considered Yumichika, but he was only a shadow now, his former self. Who at one time would have happily jumped at the chance to offer advise.

What she needed was Rangiku. Of course, if Rangiku was still around then she wouldn't have a chance with Gin. She sighed sadly. This was all pointless. Gin probably didn't feel about her the same way.

She smiled at the memories. Signing the last of her paperwork. Unohana had been the one to tell he to just go for it. Later realizing that she had known Gin's feelings all along.

A pale pink appearing on her cheeks at the memories. She couldn't bare being apart from him for so long. She had promised that once Soul Society had gotten back together that she would step down and live in the human world with him.

He told her that was unnecessary and that she didn't have to do that. His words were sincere, but he was a brilliant liar. His scarlet eyes told all though. Rubies that she got to see much more often. His eyes had shined with a hope of no longer being alone.

"Captain Urahara," she said entering his office.

He smiled up at her. "All done?"

She nodded. "Yes. Also I was reminding you that I'll be away this weekend."

His eyes narrowed. "Where do you go every month?" he asked.

"That's my business," she sniffed.

"A boyfriend?" he asked his goofy smile appearing.

Her cheeks flushing, giving her away.

He was no captain Aizen. Such a pain. Prying at things that weren't his business.

She turned away. Just before leaving her captain spoke again.

"Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin are still at large."

"I know that," she didn't turn to look at him. Her eyes would give her away.

"Anyone that is found helping or making contact with them will be imprisoned and sentenced for an execution. No excuses for anyone." He cleared his throat. "If you know anything about Aizen-"

"I would never help that man," she spat. That was true. And it was a relief to hear him say Aizen's name and not Gins'.

"Of course," her captain said swiftly. "Have a good weekend, Hinamori-kun,"

She left the office. It annoyed her a little that some still thought that she was still hung up about Aizen. Yet better that be their suspicions then the real thing. And it wasn't if Gin was plotting something, he never asked about Soul Society. He asked how she was but not about the new captains. He knew that would make him sound bad. And she never told him. Their always had to be that doubt, as long as she still worked there. She hated it. Yet it was necessary. Though he had shown a little interest in who the new third captain was, but he never asked directly.

She made her way to the human world as quickly as she could. Every moment she waited was a moment she missed with him.

He was in Paris right now. She loved that city. She was hoping Gin would stay there longer, but he couldn't afford to stay in any place to long, just in case.

She would meet him at his favorite café in Paris. He would be sitting there waiting for her. With a drink waiting for her. She undid her bun and headed to the café. She smiled seeing the silver hair sitting in a chair outside the café. His back was towards her.

As she got closer she realized that he was not alone. A man with dark brown hair and black rimmed glasses sat at the table with him. Her heart froze. Why?

She made it to the table. Her face pale. She was so mad and scarred at the same time.

The smile that she had grown to love appeared as she approached. "Momo," he said happily pushing out her chair with his foot from under the table. Her drink in it's spot waiting for her.

The man sitting across from Ichimaru was sipping his drink giving Gin a disproving look. "In Paris of all cities, you should try and be a gentleman."

He smiled at the dark haired man. "Guess I should, I'm about to get an earful. Should try an butter her up first,"

The man set his cup down. "You haven't told her?"

"She works for Soul Society still,"

"To be fair, she should have suspected it,"

Hinamori wanted to cry. "Are you betraying me too?" she asked.

Gin sighed. "So lil' faith." He tugged on her coat. "Sit down before ya fall over,"

With a little reluctance she obeyed. "This better be good," she meant the words to come out sharp and fierce, but they sounded weak and half hearted. "Why is Aizen here?"

"Well," began Gin. "It's really not as bad as ya think. Sousuke and I have only met a handful of times since all that war stuff. He always finds me," he assured.

Aizen nodded in agreement.

"The first time," the dark haired man continued. "was just after my defeat. I still had the key and all. However," he sighed. "Soul Society had no intention of reinstating a King. Or the central forty six for that matter. Which meant, that to regain my title, I would have to wipe out the Gotei Thirteen. Not a task I could do on my own. There was to much risk involved to do it alone."

"You hadn't given up?" cried Hinamori.

"Not at all. My defeat was a minor set back." he talked so smugly. It made her sick.

"I knew that Gin was somewhere. So my first task was to find him. Make up the ground we had lost."

Hinamori bowed her head. She had been informed of Gin's and Aizen's relationship. Of what they had and shared. She was foolish to think that their bond could so easily be shattered. Even after all that had happened between them. After Aizen had broken Gin's heart. Of course there still had to be some kind of bond. Aizen did raise Gin. Saved him from the streets. A life Hinamori couldn't even imagine.

"We made up," Gin said simply. As if it was really that simple.

"But he would not come with me,"

She looked back up again slowly.

"Gin will not fight against Soul Society or for me again," sighed Aizen waving the waitress over for another cup of tea.

Hinamori felt the fear slowly leave her. Gin had not betrayed her. He had not been honest. But only to keep her from lying to much to her friends back home. She really couldn't overlook Aizen. She would have to report this.

"It's to late to do anything now," Aizen adjusted his glasses. "I've waited to long. The Gotei Thirteen will have replaced all the gaps. I have an idea of who might be filling what, but I can't be sure. Regardless, I can't do it on my own."

Hinamori smiled at her tea. "It's been hard." she said.

Both men glanced at her as they drank.

"The morale is low. The hurt and the loss is still raw as if our friends were taken away yesterday."

"Well, you may relax, I don't plan on doing anything at the moment. But I don't plan on giving up either."

She was afraid of that. But he made it sound like such a long way off.

"Maybe when that time comes, you'll have changed your mind." He sat up slowly leaving a few folded bills on the table. His hand quickly patting silver locks before he was gone.

There was silence between the two remaining members at the table.

"I have to report Aizen to Soul Society." she said.

"Hmm," was Gin's answer.

"You should leave soon,"

"Going now?"

"He needs to be caught. Especially since his lust for power hasn't faded. I don't want you caught as well."

Gin smiled a sad smile. "Well. Looks like our weekend is lost. I'll be long gone by the time your people get here."

Hinamori got up. "Where will you be next month?"

"I don't know. My sudden departure leaves me at a bit of a loss at the moment."

She shook her head. "Don't do this. Please. I don't want this to end. I-"

He looked up curious as to what her next words might be but she couldn't continue. She had never been able to declare her love out load. At this moment when it was important she still couldn't find the words.

"I don't want it to end." he admitted.

"I can't not tell Soul Society." she tried to reason.

"You'll find me," he assured.

She wanted to scream. Why? Why was he doing this?

"Are you just going to run back to Aizen?" she spat out without even thinking. She regretted the words as they were leaving her mouth. Quickly she tried to take it back. Apologize. But it had been said. It was to late.

He stood up. Slowly. Planting a kiss on her head. "Goodbye Momo."

She shook her head. She ruined it. "Gin. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

But he was gone. Gone before agents of Soul Society came.

A/N Hey! I lied. There will be more chapters. It was supposed to end this chapter but as I kept writing it turned into this. And I loved it. There will be little flashbacks of how Gin and Momo became what you read. No worries. I didn't just throw them together. I'll try to update soon.


	12. Memories of That Day

Chapter Twelve- Memories of That Day

The first person she went to was Unohana. Momo told her honestly all that had happened. The kind woman listened to every word. Never interrupting. Hinamori looked at her feet sadly as she told her everything.

The captain of the fourth nodded when the younger one had finished. "Gin's raitsu will be all over that café. And so is yours."

"What should we do?" she asked sadly.

"You tell them you saw both of them."

Hinamori did not like that answer.

"Please relax and listen." the woman smiled kindly despite the seriousness of the situation. "If Soul Society thinks there together all the better at this point." Unohana sighed sadly. Gin. What was he thinking talking to Sousuke like that? "You go tell your captain what you saw."

Hinamori nodded sadly. She wanted to cry.

"I'll make sure no harm comes to Ichimaru," she assured as she hurried the young girl out the door.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next few hours felt like the longest of her life. She felt nauseous telling everyone that she had seen Gin.

The look Kira had given her nearly tore her hearts to pieces. He would want an explanation that was for sure. Head Captain Kyōraku listened to her story never once interrupting. A kind look, not judging. It was a glimpse of the man he used to be.

The other captains held no such look. Yoruichi and Kisuke held looks of doubt and mistrust. Both knowing that she went out monthly. Probably thinking that she had been meeting Aizen, and he had somehow broke her heart and now she was spilling the beans. Nothing like a woman scorned. Well she knew that all the Captain's felt that way. Those two just showed it the most.

Shunsui nodded when she had finished. "I need Grimmjow-"

"I'm on it. Only question do you want me to drag them back dead or alive?" he grinned excitedly.

The head captain shook his head. "However you are able to bring them back. I doubt they retreated to Hueco Mundo but it doesn't hurt to check."

The blue haired captain nodded and left to head out into the Hollow world. Nel following her captain.

"Yoruichi,"

"My team is already out looking for him, but I'll join the search." she informed.

"Please do."

The violet haired woman also left.

Momo listened to the orders being given. Her heart beating loudly and nervously. Mayuri and Nemu were sent to search for the traitors with their technology in the labs. Her own captain, Kisuke went to file the paperwork on her own statements in what happened.

He starred at her for a long moment. He was judging her. Was she helping Aizen. Had she been helping him. At this moment innocent until proven guilty. But she was on a thin ice.

"You may go. Lieutenant Hinamori." the Head Captain informed.

She bowed to the first division captain and slowly made her way out knowing that she was going to be attacked by Kira as soon as he had a chance.

"Hinamori." came a stern voice.

She turned around to see her dear friend Hitsugaya. He had followed her out. She struggled to form words to say hello, but she couldn't manage it.

"What exactly is going on?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" she couldn't say anything above a whisper.

He eyed her intently watching her every movement.

"I know that you haven't been leaving to see Aizen every month like everyone thinks you have. But you have been seeing someone. And I think I know who."

She bit her lip determined to keep silent. To not say a word. To not give anything away.

"On that day that we came to rescue everyone you begged me not to kill him. And I said that we would take him back to Soul Society. So I left you alone with him. When it was all over, he was gone."

The youngest captain crossed his arms. "Did you help Ichimaru Gin escape Las Noches?"

She couldn't help it. She couldn't meet his gaze. She starred at her feet.

"Hinamori!" he sounded disgusted outraged.

Once again she did the only thing she was good at these days. Cried.

"She didn't do it alone."

The white haired boy turned to the other. "Captain Unohana?"

"I assisted with the escape of Ichimaru Gin." the motherly woman spoke softly. Kindly. Not even the icy captain would shout at her.

He cleared his throat and spoke softer. "Did you have a good reason?"

"Of course. He did not deserve the fate that awaited for him here. If he was to be punished then I would request that the other older captains be punished as well for not seeing all the obvious signs of what was happening right before our eyes."

No matter who you are, you didn't argue with Captain Unohana. "But you agree Aizen has to be caught?"

"Yes." she closed her eyes sadly. "Gin was a child that I watched grow up under Aizen's influence. I never caught the signs what was going on. I saw them but never paid them any attention. I will not allow that boy suffer the fate that Soul Society was going to hand to him."

The tenth captain sighed mulling it over in his head. "He killed Matsumoto," he hissed.

"He regrets that more than you know!" Hinamori cried speaking up. "He did it to save her from the fate that awaited her back in Las Noches. After all, they were dear friends at one point."

Another sigh. "Fine. I'll keep quite about all of this." He turned to walk away from them pausing for a moment. "And.." he sighed. "I guess if you need my help. Captain Unohana, I could lend you my assistance, or something."

"Thank you Captain Hitsugaya," Unohana said kindly.

He nodded not looking at her again and left.

"Thank you," mumbled Hinamori to Unohana.

"Thanks are getting complicated. I wouldn't worry about it. In time everyone will calm down again. I will locate Ichimaru again, once things have settled. Just be patient. And do not leave to go looking for him."

Momo nodded. She thanked the forth captain and headed to her quarters. It would be days of suspicious glares and nasty rumors about her for a while. And she'd have to explain everything to Kira, too.

And Gin. She fell into her bed. He must hate her. Even if Unohana found him, he wouldn't ever want to talk to her again. She knew Aizen wasn't capable of doing anything. She shouldn't have said anything.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"_Rome this time." she took her seat. A warm drink as always waiting in front of her. _

"_I like it 'ere. I hope to stay as long as I can." _

_She smiled happily. "I hope your happy."_

_His eyes opened slightly to look at her. His silver bangs hanging slightly in front of his ruby colored eyes. His wide grin as always in place. This one was different then the others, that she knew but she didn't know how to read all the similar but different smiles. _

"_Fa now," he admitted. He took a sip of his own drink._

"_I'm sorry you're always on the run." _

"_Don' be."_

_Short answers. He was miserable. She looked down at her drink sadly. He was irritated. She hoped he wasn't going to be like this the whole time. She was hoping to admit her feelings today. Unohana had told her to just go for it. But if he was in a mood like this…_

_The silence was almost painful. Suffocating. He was tired of running around. Moving from place to place. Having to uproot himself every several months. _

"_Something wrong, Momo? You're usually quite chatty."_

_She looked up at him. He had his eyes closed tightly again. Sipping his drink. Did he drink tea, or coffee? She didn't even know. He wasn't found of bitter things. But he was always at a coffee shop. And he loved chocolate. Chocolate was bitter too, wasn't it? But was it sweet too? Or just bitter? She felt stupid. She knew next to nothing about him. Yet…_

"_Gin, I think I'm in love with you." Her heart was pounding so loudly. _

_His eyes opened slowly. He set his cup down gently back in it's saucer. "Ya are?"_

_Her cheeks now started to heat up as a pink flush spread across them. Was he going to tease her? God. He was such a jerk. She felt so stupid. So dumb. Of course he wouldn't like her. She was nothing like the people he loved. He probably misses Rangiku. And God knows she was nothing like that woman. She was smart and beautiful and very, very well endowed. She was nothing next-_

"_That's a good thing."_

_Her thoughts came to a grinding halt in her head. What did he say? "While, I do think love is a bit to strong of a word at this point, I'd say it's somthin like it,"_

_She felt her heart swell with happiness. "Really?"_

_He chuckled. "Corse," _

_She got up from her seat and embraced him. Holding on to him tightly. "I'm so happy," she whispered. _

_His soft chuckle was heard again and returned her embrace. _

_From that moment on, she swore that she would do what she could to take of him. She would do what she could to make him happy. Even leave the Gotei thirteen if she had too. No. She would do that. Once everything was calm again. Once all the squads were in functional again. Then she would stay with him. And make him happy. Never make him live another day alone. She would be there. By his side. Always. As long as he wanted her there. _

Hinamori sat up suddenly. A dream. A dream of the day when she confessed her love. She hugged her knees. She promised. She promised to herself to make him happy. Yet. She was still here in Soul Society. Things were fine weren't they? Why hadn't she gone to him sooner? Now he was gone. And she didn't know where he was. Or if she would ever see him again.


	13. A Chance Meeting

Chapter Thirteen- A Chance Meeting

Yachiru starred sadly at the Kuchiki manor. No one lived there anymore. Byabya was gone. He had been killed. He was gone forever from her world. For someone who had grown up in a world of death and blood and hung out with a man who only wanted to kill and cut things she sure didn't know how to take death very well. Not when those who died were so dear to her.

Byabya. She wouldn't deny that she had a crush on him. Of course she knew that he would have never seen her as more then an annoying neighbor. But she loved to tease the always serious captain. She wished that she had expressed her crush to him before he had been taken from her world. To at least let him know that he was very dear to her.

No one ever told her what had happened to him exactly. No one had told her at all that he had been killed. She had just figured it out on her own. She had cried for days. But crying didn't bring people back.

It wouldn't bring back Uki. There was no other captain who would hide treats in his sleeves. It wouldn't bring Grandpa or Baldy back. Baldy who had attached wheels to her sheath so she could drag her sword around. Wheels that she no longer needed but would never take off. Boobies gone, now that she was older wished that the woman was still alive. For advise and other such things. And Ichi, Kenny's best friend was gone too. She wiped the tears from her. She cried a lot now. Not around Kenny. She didn't want him to worry. But she did.

And Glasses, Smiley and Blindy were gone. They had disappeared after the war. Glasses who had taught her to write nicely. Smiley who had played with her. Hide and seek all through the divisions.

Yumi wasn't in her division to do paper work anymore so she stepped up and did her best to get it done. There sure was a lot to do. She sort of liked doing it. It kept her mind out of dark places.

She looked down at the coy in the Kuchiki manor's pond. They were getting big. She would have to move a few to Uki's old coy pond soon.

Why did these things have to happen? Why did her whole world have to be turned upside down. Why did Glasses have to leave and ruin everything. Why did they have to stop him? Why not let Glasses do what he wanted? Then no one would have gotten hurt. No one would of had to die. At least no one she knew.

She walked back to her division. Librarian-san was always so busy now. She didn't come to Shinigami Woman's Association. Not that they had many meetings anymore. Bun Head even came to the few that they had now.

Maybe she would get these meeting back in order. Get them rolling again. That would lift everyone's spirits again. Heck. She would even go get the snacks. Something everyone would like.

That's exactly what she would do!

She smiled and hurried back to ask Kenny for permission to leave. He of course said, whatever. That was his way of saying yes.

She was so excited. She hurried to the human world stores to get all kinds of yummy treats.

Things could be like they used to be. Someone just had to try. She would start with the Woman's association. And then the Lieutenant meetings. And she would try to make friends with Nel. She bet they could become great friends. Then she would try and get Yumi back to his old fluttery self. So what if he had a Kido sword. Who cares? She didn't. Then she would find Kenny a new friend. Grimmy. He was like Ichigo. They would become new best friends. And she would get a new crush. Who though? There was no one like Byabya. Oh! Kira! He was kind of cute. He blushed really easily so he would be fun to tease.

Yes. This was all going to work. She would help life everyone's spirits including her own. Things could go back to the way they used to be. You just had to try.

In her basket she began tossing in all the things she knew the others liked. She bit her lip. Bun Head.

"What does Bun Head like?" she asked out loud.

"Plums," a bag of plum flavored candies aooeared in front of her face.

She took the bag and looked up slowly. A familiar face she thought she'd never again.

"Smiley?" she asked.

"Hey ya' Yachiru-chan." he said.

She smiled jumping up and giving him a hug. "Smiley,"

She paid for her candy and walked with the silver haired man. They walked in silence for a few moments. "Smiley. The captain's are looking for you."

His smile remained intact as he looked down at her. "Ya gonna turn me in?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Squad Eleven had never been one for following the rules. Besides even if they find out I was talking to you, Kenny would kill them before he let them do something to me."

"Ya sure have become more responsible and irresponsible all at the same time."

She laughed, a smile appearing on her face saying that she was quite proud of that fact.

"Well then Yachiru-chan, I need ya to do me a favor."

"Oh?" she asked, curious.

"I need ya to give this to Momo," he handed her a carefully sealed envelope.

"Momo?"

"Bun-head,"

Her eyes lit up. She looked at him then at the envelope then at him again. "You and Bun-head." All the time back in Las Noches that they were together. And then Momo running off once a month. "You and her." she giggled in delight. She was practacly bouncing in her new found information. "Is this letter telling her you want to run off together? Are you stealing her away to live happily ever after?"

He patted her on the head. "Not like that at all. I'm sure I've caused Momo a lot of trouble. She should make the best of what she has in Soul Society and move on."

Yachiru's happiness faded away completely. "Why?" she asked she felt her eyes become watery. "No one is happy back there. Why not take the bit of happiness we have and run with it? Why not run as far and as fast as we can with it?"

"Life isn't that simple Yachiru-chan."

"I know that." she said. Doing her best to keep her voice steady. Why couldn't adults understand? "But if you have a chance at happiness why not take it? I would!"

"Well in the end, that choice is up to her isn't it?"

The pink haired girl took the letter. She would give it to Bun Head. And Bun Head would make the right choice. "I am going to try and make a difference in Soul Society. I am going to try and help everyone get their smiles back." she smiled at him. "You've always had a smile, but you haven't always had a real smile. My first smiles will be yours and Bun Head's smile." she wiped away forming tears. "I promise."

"Then I'll hold you to it, Yachiru-chan,"

"I swear it!" she punched the air. Her childishness bubbling to the surface. "I want everyone to be happy again, even those who aren't in Soul Society anymore. I will do it by myself if have to."

Gin smiled sadly at her. "You're the only one who can,"

She nodded. Her cheeks as rosy as ever. Her smile as bright as he remembered. As if all the blood and tears from many years ago had never been shed. She was just the light that Soul Society needed.

Yachiru would make the biggest differences in the Gotei thirteen. Especially when she got a little older.

With one last hug she waved goodbye to him. Glad that she was able to say goodbye to someone for once. She would never see him again. But at least she knew in a few days that he would be happy. He and Bun Head. She ran through the streets of the divisions many wrong turns along the way.

So what that he had left with Aizen. They had gone to complete their goals. They had dreams that couldn't be reached here. She had never hated them for leaving. Or for the war that had happened after they left. She didn't blame them for the people who died. After all that's what happens in war.

Did she wished it never happened? Everyday. But what was done was done. You had to make the best of your situation.

She paused to catch her breath for a moment before knocking on the door of the lietenuiant of the fifth division.


	14. Finding You, Finding Our Ending

Chapter 14- Finding You, Finding Our Ending

She felt like crying. No. No. No.

She ran but she wasn't sure to where. Where would he go?

_Yachiru had appeared at her door a letter in hand. Momo had to admit she was a bit surprised at the young girl's appearance. It wasn't like she was close to her. Still she allowed the young girl into her home. _

_Yachiru smiled up at her handing Momo the sealed envelope. _

_The older girl couldn't help but be a bit nervous. Her hands shook a bit as she took it for Yachiru. _

"_Who's it from?" she asked quietly._

_Yachiru only continued to smile at her. _

_So with a shaky hand she opened the sealed letter. She licked her lips pulling out the folded paper. _

_Such lovely hand writing. Her eyes scrolled down the sheet. _

_Dearest Momo-chan, _

_I would have to assume all is well with you and that I are last meeting didn't get you in any trouble. But it made me think. It's just to dangerous for you and I. Conversing with me just makes you look more like a traitor. And I don't want that. I want you to live a long happy life in the position you always wanted. _

_A letter is a crummy way to say goodbye, I know. But the only way. Be happy Momo. We have long lifelines. You'll love again. Foxes ain't to be trusted anyway. Take care of yourself Momo. I'll always love you. _

_Sincerely, _

_Ichimaru Gin. _

_She reread the letter several times, her hands shaking a bit. _

"_Aren't you going to go to him?" _

_She looked up, almost having forgotten that the younger girl was still there. _

"_You saw him?"_

_Yachiru nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. The secret is safe with me. Now, are you going to go to him?"_

_Hinamori shook her head. "Where would he be how would I find him? And my life here…I'd have to leave now to even try and catch him,"_

"_Then leave now," Yachiru said, as if it was that simple. And…..maybe it was. She crushed the letter in her hands. Yes. Maybe it was just that simple. _

_The younger girl beamed at Hinamroi. "Get going!" she cheered, her old child like excitement bubbling up. _

_And it a burst of shumpo she did that. First things first. Stepping down from her position. She pulled off her armband as she ran to a familiar room. She hesitated for only a moment. She hadn't been here since that night. Her last night speaking to her captain…Aizen. She shook her head ridding herself over the old memories. And knocked on the door lightly. _

_She heard the clutter of someone inside. And the soft footsteps to the door. Gray eyes blinked in surprise. "Hinamori-san?" He had a pipe in one hand, and the whole room stank of it. She wrinkled her nose at the stench. _

_She handed him the squad five armband. "I am stepping down from my position here. I no longer wish to be the lietenuiant of squad five," She looked him right in the eye as she spoke._

_He starred at her for a moment, before taking the armband. "Where are you going to go Hinamori-san?" _

_Questioning her. He didn't trust her. He never had. Always assuming she was helping Aizen in someway. _

"_From this point on, my life is no longer of any importance to the Gotei Thirteen," and with that she shumpoed off. He would have people tracking her in no time now. She should have gone to say goodbye to Toshiro and Unohana first. To late for that now. The sooner she left the sooner the harder it would be to track her. _

_She felt tears in the corners of her eyes as she ran. This had been her whole life up till now. She gave up so much for it… She'd never see Shiro again now…. But it was something that had to be done…. She loved Gin. She couldn't let him slip through her fingers like that. _

"_You are always so thick headed. Why didn't you come to me first?"_

_She jumped in surprise at the voice beside her. "You damn captains always sneaking up on us," she moved her hand to smack her old friend, but he of course dodged. They both slowed to a stop._

_Toshiro sighed crossing his arms. "Urahara has already spread the word that you're leaving. You open a gate and you'll bring everyone right to Gin,"_

_She lowered her head, and bit her lip. Now what?_

"_And you were just going to leave without saying goodbye," _

"_Shiro, I," _

"_Idiot!" he sighed pulling out his blade. "I could open a gate for you of course." _

_Her eyes went wide. "You would?"_

_He nodded. "If this is what will make you happy, then so be it. But, after this…. I can't help you anymore. I'll take you both in, should we ever happen to cross paths,"_

_She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Of course," she watched the gate appear. This was it._

"_There," he said softly stepping back. _

_She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you Shiro-chan." _

_He sighed annoyed at the nickname but returned the hug all the same. "Be happy Hinamori,"_

"_You too, Toshiro," She released her hold on him and with one last smile to her dear friend she shumpoed through the gate. _

He had opened a gate to Paris, where Gin had been last. Not to far from the café. But she couldn't find him. He wouldn't still be here anyway. Not after Soul Society had come.

She felt tears once more burn at the corners of her eyes. She sat down on a park bench defeated, eventually. She sighed sadly wiping her eyes. What was she going to do now?

"Tissue, dear?"

A white cloth appeared in front of her. She thanked the person quietly, as she took it, drying her eyes with it. It took her a moment to realize a human had handed her a handkerchief. Humans should not be able to hand her anything. Much less be able to see her and talk to her. She turned to look at the man, who chocolate colored eyes wide and fearful.

His face was hidden by a newspaper, she swallowed. "Sir?"

The news paper, moved down and familiar dark brown eyes met her own.

She gasped almost falling of the bench in shock. Aizen.

He watched her flail about like a mouse in front of a cat for a moment, before looking away from her to his watch. "Well….for receiving the note, I guess this is good time. I would have thought you'd come before that. Guess it takes losing something for people to realize how much they want it," he smirked, more to himself that anyone. Yes, he knew that feeling.

He glanced back to her for a moment folding up his paper and tucking it under his arm as he stood up. "Follow me," he said.

"Why?" she asked standing up off the bench, the handkerchief still tightly in her hands.

He glanced down, a slight gleam of irritation at being questioned passed through his brown orbs. "So I can take you to Gin, of course. That is where you want to go, I assume."

She starred at him. "You'll take me to him?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. I was hoping that you wouldn't show at all. And I could work on winning him back to my side, but you have a lifetime to screw it up, Hinamori-kun, I can simply wait," he turned away beginning to walk down the dark streets.

She hesitantly followed her former captain. Not quite sure if she should trust him. But he was her only lead to Gin. They walked in silence for a bit.

"You two stayed in Paris?" she asked quietly.

"No place is safer then right under your pursuers noses," he replied, stopping in front of a shady building. "He's in there,"

She waited for him to lead them in but he didn't move from his spot. "Aren't you coming?" she asked softly.

He shook his head stepping away. "I have far better things to do then listen to you two. This is far from goodbye, I'll still be around," with that he turned back the way he had come.

She watched him go. That man, Aizen Souske…. A man that she had loved for a good part of her life, a man she had admired…what could she think of him now? Still as clever as always, still eluding the Soul Society. It would be interesting to see, in her years to come what kind of plans he would come up with.

She would see him again, that was for certain. He would come back to Gin and her. Trying to win them over with his words. Maybe he would succeed. Maybe she would fight by his side once more, with Gin. Maybe….

The future away from Soul Society was so uncertain now. Who knew where it would lead her. But right now, she had to focus on now. She shumpoed into the building. The inside as she suspected looked very nice. As always he stayed someplace that looked terrible on the outside but wonderful on the inside. She looked about the place and up the stairs. Into a small bedroom.

There a tuft of silver hair peeking out from under the covers. She couldn't help it, she ran over jumping on the covered figure.

Soft cursing was heard at once as the figure under her struggled to fight his way out of the sheets and blankets. She watched in amusement her smile growing at each passing moment, until at last annoyed sleepy ruby colored eyes met her chocolate colored ones. They turned from annoyed to surprised in a matter of seconds, before slowly sliding into closed slits.

"Momo," he said softly.

She beamed at him wrapping her arms around him. "Gin,"

He planed soft kisses along her face. "You left?"

"And I'm never going back," she said her face heating up at the soft kisses he planted along her skin.

"I can' say I'd let ya do such a thing, like goin back,"

She giggled softly capturing his lips. No, she'd never leave him.

In the many years to come, they would still go from place to place. You couldn't be to careful. And to her dismay at first they saw more of Aizen then she would have liked. Always worried that his skilled mind would seduce Gin away from her.

Of course, that was just the way Aizen spoke. And it became less bothersome to see him, and more amusing anything. He told good tales and stories. And he knew a lot about Gin. She learned a lot from him.

And of course he still hadn't given up his goals. Of course, she had a new perspective on all of that. And maybe in more years to come, her and Gin really would be fighting for him. But those years were far away. So far in the distance you couldn't be sure they were there at all.

She never did see Shiro again. But she did see Kira a handful of times and Unohana every now and then.

But mostly it was just her and Gin. And that she didn't mind. A life on the run. It was sort of romantic. Eventually they would get tired of running, she could see that coming. Thus Aizen's far off goals looked a little brighter. But until then this life was just fine.

No need to settle down quite yet.

"Ya miss it?"

She looked up, Aizen happened to be there that afternoon for tea., glanced at the silver haired man.

"Miss what?" she asked curiously.

"Bein a shinigami," he laced his fingers together, scarlet eyes peeking out a bit.

She set her tea cup down. "A little. Not as much as you though, I'm sure. You started being a shinigami a lot younger then me, and were doing it much longer then I was,"

His smirk stretched across his face. "Naah, I don' miss it,"

Aizen sipped his tea quietly watching them both with his dark eyes. Always plotting away. They both missed it a little bit. And he would pray on those weaknesses all in good time.

She sighed contently sipping her at once more. Well whatever her future held, she'd find out all in good time, until then, she would enjoy the ride. Wherever this ride led her she'd at least be able to be with Gin. She smiled to herself as Aizen talked to Gin about something he read in the paper. Who would have thought that the lieutenant she hated so was someone she would love so completely now. Ah it didn't matter now.

She watched the two of them talk. And like always Aizen would leave first and pat Gin on the head giving her a slight nod before taking his leave. And would show up in another two weeks or so. And her and Gin could carry on with their life uninterrupted.

The silver haired man smiled over at her once he had left. "What is on the agenda for today?"

She beamed back at him. "Whatever we like Gin,"

"That we can,"

This was their life. It may change in the years to come, but until then she couldn't imagine anything better right now. She took his bony hand in hers squeezing it gently. "I love you Gin."

A gleam of scarlet peeked though his lashes once more. "And I love ya, Momo,"

She smiled happily. This was all that matters.

A/N

And that's it. I am terrible at ending things. Never been proud of one thing I ended… Well I hope you enjoyed and I thank everyone who has been with it from the beginning. I do apologize for the late update, my heath has been poor, among other things happening. Personal life issues. Anyway. Once more thank you everyone. I hope you enjoyed.


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